After a poem is written, the writer no longer bears responsibility for the poem. She has cast it out for the world to manipulate at its leisure. Those who bear these responsibilities are the readers, the critics, and the translators as they can transform it. As Howe puts it, once I put my words out there, “possibility has opened.” As a poem reaches the public, with the vast diversity of minds, perspective, and motives.

The reader is responsible for interpreting the verses. Those who become enthralled by the poem may share their own interpretation, proliferating new meanings foreign from the truth. Even if an author attempts to establish a correct interpretation, those who are overly fanatical with their interpretation may choose to disregard the author’s meaning and preach their own, as seen in the numerous fan theories one can find online.

The critic plays quite the different role. He critic judges the quality of the work, deeming it worthy or not of another’s time. The critic is responsible for influencing the opinions of others. Critics’ opinions can carry heavy weight as their words may give the reader a positive or negative preconception of the poem. Critiques can heavily influence the size of the audience the poem reaches. If a poet interjects their opinion on the matter the masses can easily label her as biased and the critic as objective.

Translators play quite the unique role of “reinventing” the words of the poet. Their sole duty is to bring the poem to a new audience. Their responsibility mimics that of the poet, choosing the right words to convey the feel and message of the poem. If a translation is inaccurate in transmitting the message that the original has been replaced with something new, stripping the target audience of the poets’ words and meaning.

All of this is affirmed by Howe in her work. She states that “as soon as the poet puts their words out there it is no longer in their possession” and how”there is a mystic separation between poetic vision and ordinary living.”

The poet is responsible for crafting a puzzle, it is the responsibility of everyone else to solve it, judge it, and propagate it.

Dante Novoa