Most people hate reading poetry. This is because people generally make three false assumptions when addressing an unfamiliar poem: 1. They assume they should understand it on the first read through. 2. They assume the poem is a kind of code and each detail corresponds to one and only one meaning. 3. They assume the poem can mean anything the reader wants it to mean. To bring joy back into reading poetry you have to find novelty in the mundanity of repeated reading. The greatest poems change in meaning as you change. Similarly, the greatest books can be read many many times because they have different meanings each time. I think people could bring more joy back to apparently mundane things like family interactions that feel scripted by coming at them with a more poetic mindset. Try and spice up interactions. Add novelty. ### Examples One of the videos we tried to analyze in class was [[Ekphrasis 'Translation' poem|Puparia]]. I had absolutely no idea what this video was meant to mean. But by coming at it with a more poetic mindset, I was able to bring joy and curiosity into analyzing the video for meaning. Related: [[How to Read a Poem]] [[Games People Play]]