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 DoveIf they don't read, if they don't love reading; if they don't find themselves compulsively reading, I don't think they're really a writer
Rita DoveWe should always do something that makes us feel like a child again. Keep learning, no matter what it is.
Rita DoveI see a resurgence of interest in poetry. I am less optimistic about the prospects for the arts when it comes to federal funding.
Rita Dove