What might the speaker mean by saying that a poem should not mean and should not be true?

What might the speaker mean by saying that a poem should not mean and should not be true?

The point the speaker seems to be making is that a poem shouldn’t be about “truths” per se. A person shouldn’t read it and think, “that’s true!” Instead it should be beyond all of the truths we think we know in the physical world.

What does Archibald MacLeish mean when he says a poem should not mean but be explain in your own words?

His final line has been described as a “classic statement of the modernist aesthetic”-“A poem should not mean/but be.” He means that the worth of a poem does not lie in its paraphrasable content, but in its structure with its interlocking words, metaphors, associations, rhythm, rhyme (if used), its line lengths.

What is the message in Ars Poetica?

The central theme of “Ars Poetica” is that a poem should captivate the reader with the same allure of a masterly painting or sculpture—that is, it should be so stunning in the subtlety and grace of its imagery that it should not have to explain itself or convey an obvious meaning.

What do you think MacLeish is saying about the art of poetry — what should a poem be or do?

MacLeish begins ‘Ars Poetica’ by stating that a poem should be palpable, something we feel we can touch. Of course, he’s speaking figuratively here, but the point is that poetry should physically leave its mark, and should affect us. But a poem should also be ‘mute’.

What does the speaker mean when he says a poem should not mean but be why do you think so?

The third and last stanza states that a poem should “not mean, / But be,” reiterating that a poem should exist and act upon the reader in a way that cannot necessarily be contrived or understood in the realm of cognition. The first four stanzas, evoke two main ideas.

What does motionless in time mean?

Time, as we know, is a big part of our physical/earthly lives, or temporal lives, if you will. So to be “motionless in time” gives us the impression of being above and beyond all the physical stuff. We’re not slaves to the clock anymore in “Ars Poetica.”

What does the poem Theme for English B mean?

“Theme for English B” is a poem about the complexities of identity in a racist society. As he works through these questions, the speaker arrives at a powerful argument against racism—and for his own place in American life.

What are some of the ways that Archibald MacLeish claims in his ars poetica a poem should be?

Ars Poetica

• A poem should be palpable and mute. As a globed fruit,
• Dumb. As old medallions to the thumb,
• Silent as the sleeve-worn stone.
• A poem should be wordless.
• A poem should be motionless in time.
• Leaving, as the moon releases.
• Leaving, as the moon behind the winter leaves,
• A poem should be motionless in time.

When was ars poetica by Archibald MacLeish written?

1926
“Ars Poetica”. written by Archibald MacLeish, and first published in 1926, was written as a spin on Horace’s classic treatise, which can be translated to “art of poetry.” MacLeish’s poem, much like Horace’s (which was written in the first century A.D.), can be read as a veritable guide for writing poetry.

What is a sleeve worn stone?

In the third couplet of this first section, the poet states that poetry should also be “Silent as the sleeve-worn stone.” He is emphasizing the fact that poems do not speak for themselves. They remain silent while a reader delves into their depths. Good poetry will be like a ledge that has “moss” growing on it.

Why might a casement ledge be sleeve worn?

The image of “sleeve worn stone of casement ledges” presents the sense of touch and feeling as someone would perceive the texture of these things as old and worn down, much like the authors views towards poetry containing a meaning. Personification is noted in “As the moon climbs”.