some time is tied up intrinsically with memory
and emotional attachment. Liking to have one’s
way is about personal satisfaction and ego, to
some extent, and liking to pet one’s dog may
be as much about tactile enjoyment as it is
about feeling comforted and offering comfort
in return. By not stating directly how liking is
actually related to poetry, Szymborska allows
the reader to question his or her own response
to poetry. Do we like it in the same way we like
chicken soup, or in the same way we like having
our way? What reaction does poetry create in us,
and do we enjoy or appreciate that sensation?
Through the examples given in this stanza,
Szymborska suggests the variety of purposes
poetry may serve for the reader, but she does
not state her own purposes for reading or writing
poetry. The open-endedness itself is perhaps part
of her point.
In the poem’s final stanza, the process of
qualification and exploration of meaning estab-
lished in the first two stanzas is abandoned. In
the last stanza Szymborska focuses no longer on
how poetry may be perceived and appreciated,TOPICS FOR
FURTHER
STUDY ‘‘Some People Like Poetry’’ is a free-verse
poem in which Szymborska employs the
openness of the form to explore philosoph-
ical questions about knowledge and poetry.
Using Szymborska’s poem for direction,
compose and share your own free-verse
poem in which you respond to Szymborska’s
by contemplating your own views on the
nature and purpose of poetry.
Szymborska was just establishing herself as
a poet with the publication ofWol⁄anie do
Yeti(Calling Out to Yeti) in 1957, shortly
after the socialist realist period. Her work
has spanned decades. Select a poem from
that volume (fifteen are included inPoems:
New and Collected, 1957–1997) to compare
with a poem from Szymborska’s 2006 vol-
umeMonologue of a Dog. How has the
poet’s style changed over the years, if at
all? Does she treat similar subject matter
and themes? Consider the historical time
period when each poem was written. Are
differences in style, tone, and theme attrib-
utable to Szymborska’s evolution as a poet,
or are such differences particular to the
times in which the poems were written?
Write an essay on your findings.
Many of Szymborska’s poems were written
during the period when Polish people livedunder Communist rule. Research the Soviet
occupation of Poland. How did the Com-
munist government affect the everyday lives
of Polish people? What political resistance
did the government face from Poles? Con-
sider as well the attitudes of the rest of the
world toward Communist Poland. Did
other countries intervene in Polish politics
or offer asylum to Poles who left their home-
land? Prepare an oral presentation or writ-
ten report on your research.
Much of Szymborska’s poetry is character-
ized by her discussion or itemization of
aspects of everyday life. For example, in
‘‘Some People Like Poetry,’’ Szymborska
lists various things that people may like
(soup, scarves, colors, compliments, petting
dogs, getting your way) in order to explore
the numerous ways in which objects, activ-
ities, and feelings may be enjoyed or appre-
ciated. Research everyday life in Poland
today. What common foods do Polish people
enjoy? What are their typical leisure activities
or musical tastes? What books or movies
are currently popular in the country? Create
a presentation in which you display objects,
images, or other examples of items represent-
ing everyday life in modern Poland.Some People Like Poetry