How to Eat a Poem

¶ … Eat a Poem

At first, Eve Merriam's "How to Eat a Poem" seemed like an excuse for a silly metaphor. However, after reading the poem I realized that the poet does an excellent job in writing a poem about poetry. Its underlying message rings true: poetry should be devoured and savored fully for their personal impact. Poems should not be eaten delicately, as with "a knife or fork or spoon / or plate or napkin or tablecloth." They aren't elite gourmet meals, and they should not be treated, or read, that way. Rather, poems should be consumed without worrying about correct interpretations or analysis. The essence of a poem cannot be enjoyed if the reader is too polite and afraid, or too ready to throw away certain parts of it. I appreciated this because too often, people pick apart poems to try to eat them "politely."

Also, as Merriam states, "there is no core / or stem ... To throw away" in a poem. Rather, a poem remains a whole entity, something that cannot be viewed in fragments. Merriam's poem can help people who are averse to poetry overcome their reservations. Her food metaphor is also clear and understandable; other poems that I have come across are too obscure to be savored in the way that Merriam advises.