If the poem is so moving that even if you have no experience in that particular setting be it 1920's Harlem let's say. You still are so moved that you can put yourself in that position. That means that the writer has managed to go beyond the personal and touch the humanity in all of us and it's really a blast to read it because I realize how that this does hold true for the truly great poems.
Rita DoveI think reading Shakespeare's plays when I was young was extremely important. He had the ability to make utter strangers come alive.
Rita DoveI try to show what it is about language and music that enthralls, because I think those are the two elements of poetry.
Rita Dove