Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Dear person from Honolulu who googled "meaning of poem nostalgia by dawn potter":

I imagine the weather is more beautiful where you are, although at the moment you are probably sleeping through it. Here in Maine it is pouring rain, and once again, at the wrong time, I have just remembered that my barn raincoat has a big hole in the shoulder seam, perfectly placed for roof water sluicing off my hood.

Re the "meaning of poem nostalgia by dawn potter," tell your teacher it's a secret that a reader can unlock only by means of word choice. Here's what you do: Find a word in the poem that you like/hate/are puzzled by. Write 5 sentences that explain why you like/hate/are puzzled by the word. Voila. You have figured out something about meaning.

Feel free to write to me and let me know what you discovered. I will be surprised.

Your friend,

Dawn

P.S. About meaning: It worms its way into the poem after the poet writes down the words. Think of it as a parasite infestation.


2 comments:

Ruth said...

love this answer!! good teaching

Maureen said...

Great answer!