A copper gramophone with a coral ribbon flowing from its horn against a soft teal background.

Original artwork, not a still

Robert Pinsky

A poem is something that occurs, a poem takes place, in a reader's voice.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

Here a poem isn't just words sitting on a page; it's an event that happens when someone reads it in their own voice. The speaker places the poem in the reader's voice, so each reading is where the poem actually takes place.

Context reviewed

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