How good are you at reading poetry? [View All]

[Orrex]

I know that this is the Fiction forum, but I'm asking here for a reason.

I have to admit that I totally suck at poetry. Can't write it. Can't read it. At least, not with any sort of effective "ear" for it. And it's not for lack of trying; I took half a dozen Poetry courses in college, and I still own countless anthologies that I peruse from time to time.

I'm better with much older stuff, but for the most part I can't tell good modern poetry from bad.

It's embarrassing, in no small way, because I flatter myself to think that I'm a pretty effective reader of prose, both fiction and non-.


Anyone else have this problem?