Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"Reading, Dreaming, Hiding" by Kelly Cherry is a contemplative and layered poem that intertwines themes of reading, nature, and introspection, creating a tapestry of imagery and emotion. The poem opens with an epigraph from Czeslaw Milosz, asking about the value of engaging deeply with sacred texts, setting the stage for a meditation on the act of reading and its intersection with personal experience and the natural world.

The structure of the poem is cyclical and repetitive, mirroring the interwoven processes of reading, dreaming, and hiding. This repetition creates a dream-like quality, blurring the boundaries between the reader's internal world and the external reality of nature. The poem's imagery—rain streaming down the window, the color blue, darkness, wind hiding in trees—evokes a sense of melancholy and introspection, suggesting that both reading and dreaming are ways of seeking shelter or hiding from the outer turmoil.

The act of reading in the poem is not merely a passive consumption of words but a deep engagement with the text that becomes a part of the reader's inner landscape. The reference to dreaming the color blue implies a depth of imagination and emotion, with blue often symbolizing sadness, depth, or infinity. This suggests that the experience of reading, especially texts as profound as the Gospels in Greek, as mentioned in the epigraph, can evoke a deep emotional response, akin to dreaming.

The wind hiding in the trees and the rain streaming down full of darkness further contribute to the atmosphere of introspection and concealment. These elements of nature are not just background scenery but active participants in the poem's exploration of the interior life. They reflect the tumultuous and sometimes obscure nature of both the external world and the human psyche.

The final lines of the poem encapsulate the merging of reading, dreaming, and hiding. The speaker acknowledges the act of reading the other person, suggesting a deep, empathetic connection that transcends the mere act of reading text. This connection is as complex and filled with darkness as the natural imagery described throughout the poem.

"Reading, Dreaming, Hiding" by Kelly Cherry is a reflective exploration of the ways in which we engage with texts, the natural world, and each other. Through its cyclical structure and evocative imagery, the poem delves into the depths of human experience, suggesting that reading, like dreaming, is a form of hiding in and grappling with the mysteries of existence.