Understanding Poetry - Dead poets society

Summary

In a dramatic classroom setting, Mr. Perry instructs students to read from Dr. J. Evans Pritchard's preface on understanding poetry. Pritchard suggests evaluating a poem's greatness by assessing its artistic execution and its objective's importance. Mr. Perry, however, vehemently disagrees with this method, comparing it to a superficial rating system. He orders the students to rip out the page and the entire introduction, symbolizing a rebellion against Pritchard's approach, emphasizing the deeper, more personal connection to poetry.

Takeaways

• 📚 The script is from a book introduction on understanding poetry by Dr. J. Evans Pritchard, PhD.
• 🎨 Understanding poetry involves being fluent with its meter, rhyme, and figures of speech.
• 🤔 Two key questions are proposed to evaluate poetry: the artfulness of the poem's objective and the importance of that objective.
• 📊 A method is suggested to rate a poem's greatness by plotting its perfection on a graph's horizontal axis and its importance on the vertical axis.
• 🏆 A sonnet by Byron is mentioned as an example that might score high on importance but average on perfection.
• 🌟 A Shakespearean sonnet is contrasted as scoring high on both axes, indicating its greatness.
• 📈 The total area under the graph of a poem's perfection and importance is said to measure its greatness.
• 👨‍🏫 The introduction encourages readers to practice this rating method to enhance their enjoyment and understanding of poetry.
• 🗑️ A character named Mr. Dolton instructs others to rip out the entire introduction from the book, indicating a rejection of the approach.
• 🚫 The act of ripping out the introduction is described as a symbolic act of defiance against the method presented.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the opening paragraph on Page 21 of the introduction?

The main topic is understanding poetry, as outlined by Dr. J. Evans Pritchard, PhD.

What are the three key elements mentioned for being fluent with poetry?

The three key elements are meter, rhyme, and figures of speech.

What are the two questions one should ask to evaluate a poem according to the script?

The two questions are: 1) How artfully has the objective of the poem been rendered? 2) How important is that objective?

How does the script suggest determining a poem's greatness?

By plotting the poem's perfection on the horizontal axis and its importance on the vertical axis of a graph, then calculating the total area to measure its greatness.

What is the example given to illustrate the rating method for a sonnet?

A sonnet by Byron might score high on the vertical (importance) but only average on the horizontal (perfection), whereas a Shakespearean sonnet would score high on both, yielding a massive total area.

What is the instruction given to the gentlemen regarding the introduction by Dr. J. Evans Pritchard?

The instruction is to rip out the entire introduction by Dr. J. Evans Pritchard, including the opening paragraph on Page 21.

What is the metaphor used by Mr. Dolton to describe the act of tearing out the introduction?

Mr. Dolton uses the metaphor of a 'war' and 'battle' to describe the act of tearing out the introduction.

What is the reaction of Mr. Keating when he discovers the gentlemen tearing out the introduction?

Mr. Keating is surprised and asks the gentlemen to continue tearing out the introduction.

What does Mr. Keating imply about the importance of the introduction by Dr. J. Evans Pritchard?

Mr. Keating implies that the introduction is not valuable for understanding poetry and should be discarded.

What does the act of tearing out the introduction symbolize in the script?

The act symbolizes a rebellion against traditional methods of teaching poetry and an embrace of a more personal and intuitive approach to understanding it.