Perrine Blog!

     I just want to start by saying I really enjoyed reading this article.  I was  really shocked and intrigued as I was reading it.  I definitely agree that for symbols, a reader can interpret the meanings of objects in different ways but overall the message of the poem should be the same.  Laurence Perrine states that "both symbols define an area of meaning and a viable interpretation must fall within that area". I caught myself nodding my head in agreement as I was reading that sentence.  I feel like people can think that the Rose means innocence or love and that the worm can represent infidelity or death.  However, they have to know that the Rose is something good and the worm is not.  As long as they are staying within the overall message, then their thoughts are not wrong.  When people start making assumptions, they start to veer in the wrong direction.
     I feel as if after reading this article, I will start to interpret poetry differently.  It has taught me to really think about the context of the words and similar ones that show up more than once.  I have learned not to make assumptions because that will end with me making the wrong interpretation.  I am excited to see what I think poems are about now that I have read this article.  Before, I feel like I just took the poems a little too literally.  Now, however, I think that I will find deeper meaning to them.  I like all of the different strategies and ideas that I can think about as I read poetry.  It is amazing to me how authors can write something with so much meaning.  I am always in awe when I realize what they are trying to say through their writing.  I cannot wait to see if I can interpret poetry differently and maybe even in the right way after reading this article.