Thatโs what i love about poetry. The more abstract, the better. The stuff were your not sure what the poets talking about. You may have an idea, but you cant be sure. Not a hundred percent. Each word, specifically chosen, could have a million different meanings. Is it a stand-in โa symbol for another idea? Does it fit into a larger, more hidden, metaphor? ...I hated poetry until someone showed me how to appreciate it. He told me to see poetry as a puzzle. Its up to the reader to decipher the code, or the words, based on everything they know about life and emotions.
Jay AsherYou donโt know what goes on in anyoneโs life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a personโs life, youโre not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you canโt be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a personโs life, youโre messing with their entire life. Everything. . . affects everything.
Jay AsherThe main thing I wanted to say, and thankfully itโs what most people say they get out of the book, is simply an acknowledgement that we do affect each other in ways we canโt predict.
Jay AsherI repeat his words in my head. What's going on? What's going on? Oh, well, since you asked, I got a bunch of tapes in the mail today from a girl who killed herself. Apparently, I had something to do with it. I'm not sure what that is, so I was wondering if I could borrow your Walkman to find out. 'Not much,' I say.
Jay Asher