2.1.1 Decoding Texts

How many times have you been told in English class to "think about this further", or "read between the lines so you get the true meaning"? At times, no matter how long or seriously you have looked at a sentence or a phrase, understanding the meaning in a text can seem difficult.

Some poets or authors are so descriptive, creative, or just plain "out there" with how they word text that you might feel like throwing your book out the window because the message does not seem direct or straightforward. A common response to poetry is, "Why can't they just speak clearly? Why do they have to be so complicated?"

 

Asking about necessary or unnecessary complexity in created texts (or complaining about it) is legitimate! Wondering about complicated literature is especially important when you start recognizing and using figurative language in text.

Despite popular belief that English teachers enjoy torturing you with poetry, the truth is that learning about and understanding figurative language has a specific goal: to teach students how to decode comfortably all the types of text they encounter daily. Having the skill to navigate any complicated (or terribly written) language thrown in your direction is one more empowering tool for your future.