Many people think they do not like poetry because they once had to explain a poem in school. That is like deciding you do not like food after a bad exam. Poetry is mostly a feeling in a few lines, and it can be read in two minutes. Here is a gentle way in.
Read it out loud
Poems were made to be heard. Even whispering one to yourself changes how it lands. Do not worry about what it means. Notice what it does to you.
One poem a day
Treat it like a cup of tea, not a meal. Open a book anywhere, read one poem, and close it. Keep the book beside your bed or your kettle.
Six places to begin
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (1923) is a set of short, calm reflections on love, work and loss. It reads like wise conversation.
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke (published in 1929) is not poetry but ten letters of advice about art and solitude. It is a beautiful doorway for people who feel shy about poems.
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur (2014) is made of very short poems about hurt, love and healing. It is quick to read and easy to feel.
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman (1855) is large, joyful and generous. Dip in anywhere.
Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas (1954) is a play for voices about a day in a Welsh town. It is best read aloud, or listened to.
Ariel by Sylvia Plath (1965) is fierce and dark, for a day when you want something with teeth.
A small rule
If a poem does not speak to you, skip it. You are allowed to. When one does, copy it into a notebook. That is how a love of poetry begins.
