![]() ![]() A sonnet by Byron might score high on the vertical but only average on the horizontal. If the poem's score for perfection is plotted on the horizontal of a graph and its importance is plotted on the vertical, then calculating the total area of the poem yields the measure of its greatness. And once these questions have been answered, determining the poem's greatness becomes a relatively simple matter. ![]() To fully understand poetry, we must first be fluent with its meter, rhyme and figures of speech, then ask two questions: 1) How artfully has the objective of the poem been rendered and 2) How important is that objective? Question 1 rates the poem's perfection question 2 rates its importance. Perry, will you read the opening paragraph of the preface entitled "Understanding Poetry"? NEIL "'Understanding Poetry,' by Dr. KEATING Gentlemen, open your texts to page 21 of this introduction. ![]()
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