Reading for Meaning
I had a class in University
In which we were instructed
On how to analyze poetry
The teacher had us
Read a poem out loud
The author used the word
~Bivouac~
When we finished
He asked us a question
“Do you know what a bivouac is?”
No one did
He then asked another question
“How can you analyze a poem when you don’t know what a word means?”
We argued that we could make an educated guess
Read the rest of the poem and extrapolate the meaning
But he answered
The most obvious and easiest thing to do
Is to open up a dictionary
So we did
“A bivouac is a kind of improvised camp site, or shelter that is temporary in nature, used especially by soldiers…”
Suddenly knowing this one word
Changed the entire meaning of the poem
It moved from being a pastoral elegy
To a war memorial
I learned a lot in that class
But most importantly
That reading isn’t about words
It’s about understanding
What they are designed to represent
And that’s why I’ll never use a word
If I don’t know what it means
Cause even if no one else understands
At least I’ll know myself
Words: ©2022LCR
Image: CCO
Fortunately for me, I know exactly what a bivouac is! Love this wise write ....
ReplyDeleteA very wise teacher. And sometimes the simplest answers are the best.
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