Crosman, Hirsch, and Mailloux all make valid arguments about meaning, but I would agree with Crosman’s idea that the reader makes the ultimate meaning. A reader’s understanding of a poem can be completely different from the author’s intention.

I especially saw this matter in our think aloud project, where J.J, Matt, and Edith would go back and forth discussing whether this poem relied on the story “Hansel and Gretel”, or whether it was referring to Nazi Germany. I realized that both these analysis required previous knowledge whether about the story or about history. Their final discussions on whether this poem is about abuse derived from these matters. For someone who does not have this knowledge however, the poem can mean something completely different. Different techniques also come into play when trying to understand the author’s poem.

Again as presented in the two Think aloud projects, one reader and or group may focus too much on the history and background of the author and how it relates to the poem, and another may just focus on the word choices and how they relate to each other and to the poem as a whole. With me for example, even though I did have previous knowledge about both issues Group 1 brought up, when I first read the poem those were not my impressions about the poem. I tend to focus first on the words of a poem, or format the poem is written, like an indentation or the number of lines. Of course once we discussed the poem as a class I would enjoy writing about the significance of the poem. So I would argue that because readers each choose different manners to tackle a poem first hand, they can come up with their own meaning of the poem, each valid on their own terms.

With less experienced English students I agree with Leana that many students dislike doubts, and that is why they do not enjoy Literature. I remember wanting to contact the author when I was in high school to find out the “true” meaning of a poem, it was like solving a mystery. But I think as we mature in our reading experience we naturally overcome that phase and begin to look into how a poem or story relates to our own lives.