Poetry... I love to write it, but this guy's opinion....

So, as I sat down to read this essay by Perrine, I was at first interested. Then I read his opinion over such poetry as Emily Dickinson. I understand the point he was making and how some words could not be used as directly to apply to a garden as to the sunset. Vale, I get this, but honestly, I am furious with it at the same time. I believe that there are more levels to poetry that need to be considered than just the direct interpretation. Maybe I am so upset because I myself thought of this as a garden. I believe the most important part of interperating poetry isn't which interperatation is most correct, but which holds the emotion the poet was trying to express. Someone shouldn't be criticized just because their idea of what a poem is about isn't what the poet meant.

For example, maybe Dickinson was in fact writing about a sunset. However, knowing that much of her poetry is about nature, I do not think she would be so upset at the garden interperatation. Her poetry brought joy and expressed a love of nature. Either way you look at it, garden or sunset, these key emotions are the same. That is what truly matters. One of the few parts of this paper that didn't bother me so much were the ideas about symbols and metaphors. I feel like they are often used synonymously , although they oughtn't be used this way. Overall, I rather disliked this essay and think that the author is clearly biased toward his opinion as he is writing. One could just as easily try to justify one's own opinion in such a way. It all is really a matter of persuasive writing. However, he did bring up some interesting topics and I suppose I could give him that.