Perrine Poetry

I can only somewhat agree with his theory of "correct" poetry. I feel that as long as the reader has a theory of what the poem pertains to, and they can defend their stance, then they are correct. I agree that if they have no basis to refer to, then yes the interpretations are wrong. But even if a so called "better" answer is out there, if support is given, how can something be considered wrong that is so ambiguous to begin with? What really struck me was the first quote in the third paragraph. " ' If it suits you that way, than that is all right with me' " (T.S. Elliot, Perrine). This quote to me really hit a chord because it shows how even the author believes that if someone feels one way about an ambiguous poem, they are in the right. Everyone comes fro ma different background and history, therefore, everyone is going to read a poem in different ways.

The poem really did not change many of my interpretations, as the intro states that any supported interpretation can be correct. However, later he states that the more correct interpretation is the one that relies the least on assumptions. this to me has conflicting aspects. For one, I agree that the more one refers to what is there is more correct. However, who is to say the author did not mean something else? For example the poem The Night March. Perrine tells us that the poem is about stars. Which, personally, I can buy as correct. But still, I can read it as soldiers as well. The silence, the shining adjectives, these could refer to ghosts soldiers just as well as stars. Yes the reader has to assume a thing or two, but to me it makes just as much sense. And in essence, that is in a way what reading is all about. Reading is about entertaining the reader, while also engaging them in some way. In poetry it keeps them guessing, while in other works they teach a lesson or set an example. All is still considered literature.