Assume that it will be necessary to read a poem more than once. Give yourself a chance to become familiar with what the poem has to offer. Like a peace of music, a poem becomes more pleasurable with each encounter.
Do pay attention to the title; it will often provide a helpful context for the poem and serve as an introduction to it.
As you read the poem for the first time, avoid becoming entangled in words or lines that you don’t understand.
