read slowly: a magazine about poetry and classic prose

Philosofiya

An independent magazine about reading poetry and classic prose. We do not publish the texts of literary works and are not connected with the former site on this domain.

Beginners

A practical guide for beginners

Plenty of adults admit they love poetry but can't remember the last time they opened a book of poems. The problem usually isn't a lack of interest but a lack of habit: poetry feels like reading that requires a special mood. Below are six simple steps that help you fit poems into an ordinary week without forcing yourself and without any required results.

One poem a day doesn't sound like much, but over a year those minutes add up to a whole library in your head.

— From the editors

Six steps to a poetry-reading habit

  1. Pick a time

    Find a short stretch in your day that repeats: morning coffee, the commute home, the last few minutes before bed. A habit holds because it has a place in your routine, not because of willpower.

  2. Find a legal source

    Borrow a library collection of one classic poet with notes, or open a digital collection of public-domain works. One reliable source beats a dozen random web pages.

  3. Start short

    For the first few weeks, choose poems just a few stanzas long. A short poem is easy to read twice without getting tired, which makes it easier to come back tomorrow.

  4. Read aloud

    Even under your breath. Your voice slows the reading down and finds the pauses on its own, and your ear catches rhymes your eyes miss.

  5. Keep brief notes

    Write down the title, the author and one sentence about your impression: what surprised you, what stayed unclear. After a month, these notes will show how your reading has changed.

  6. Talk about what you read

    Tell someone close to you about the poem, or find a slow-reading club. Conversation cements understanding better than rereading alone.

Why not to start with something long

Long narrative poems and thick classic novels are wonderful, but they are too long to start with: there's a real risk of giving up halfway and deciding poetry isn't for you. Short poems give you the quick satisfaction of finishing something.

Once the habit takes hold, move on to poem cycles by a single author, and then to longer poems. Classic prose is good to read alongside, a little at a time and with the notes at hand. The same routine works just as well with poets who write in English.

How to tell it's going well

  • You want to reread yesterday's poem, not just open a new one.
  • You notice meter and rhyme without any special effort.
  • An unfamiliar word makes you curious rather than annoyed.
  • Individual lines pop into your head during the day.

Sources

  • Reference works on verse theory
  • Philosofiya editorial materials

The poets' life dates and the facts about the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum come from reference sources; everything else is described in general terms, without reference to any particular edition. Check with the organizers for the times of poetry evenings, lectures and reading-room hours.