The beauty of writing, and poetry in particular, is that there can be so many meanings in the same section of text and that it can touch so many people the author didn't even know. It can also help that author. It helps them express held back feelings that they simply can't find a way to express, but the poem will always be there to listen to them. And as strange as it is to put a slogan on all poetry when I'm sitting here talking about how different it is for everyone, I think John Keats says it best with his quote: “Poetry should be large and unobtrusive, a thing that enters in the soul, and does not frighten or amaze it with itself, but with its subject”. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay This quote by John Keats is a great representation of poetry for many reasons. Starting from the beginning of the quote, “Poetry should be large and unobtrusive,” this is a key part if poetry is to remain as large as it is now. If poetry were to be intrusive, people would not write poetry from their hearts or feelings, but to attract more attention from people, which would lead to an overall decrease in writers' meaningful poetry. The second half, “a thing that enters the soul and neither scares nor amazes it with itself, but with its subject” is also very integral to the whole poem. As mentioned before, poetry means many different things to many different people. If everyone read the poem the same way, almost all of the poem's meaning would be swept away immediately, since interpreting a poem in different ways is what gives the poem life and its ability to connect with people. The poem, My City, illustrates this quote and its ideas as a whole wonderfully. In this poem, the narrator talks about his love for his city of Manhattan while wondering what he would miss most if he were to die. He first examines nature, thinking that he might miss the sun or the trees, then says no, and assures himself that the loss of Manhattan would be the greatest pain for him. This connects to the John Keats quote because Manhattan became an integral part of this narrator's soul, so much so that he missed it more than the sun or the trees. The narrator was able to interpret and explore the city on his own, and he received his own personal message from the city, and from that personal meaning he gained, he treasured it more than anything in the world. And this is similar to what John Keats says poetry should be, something the reader can explore for themselves and find their own personal meaning. And so, just as the narrator found his own version of the city by exploring it, the reader should also get his own version of the poem. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Personalize EssayWhile every reader can draw their own personal message from a poem, from the words of John Keats we can see that there should be one thing that all poetry should have in common, and that is different messages for individuals who might read the poem differently different from the person sitting right next to them. And so, while you may get along with everyone else when it comes to seeing themes in poems, make sure you find your Manhattan every now and then..