Ah!! Poetry!

I am probably the worse English major ever. I didn't have a lot of exposure to poetry growing up, whether it be in the classroom or otherwise. We read Shel Silverstein, and occasionally Rhoald Dahl rhymed in one of his stories. But, as far as I can remember, there wasn't a lot of emphasis on poems. If there was, it was more instructional in terms of being able to identify metaphors, similes, and what not. There was no focus on meter until High School, and even then, my professor didn't really help us understand it. I still don't, to be quite honest. It may be a rhythm thing or perhaps I just can't hear the inflections. Every subsequent professor I've ever had didn't really focus too much on meter; I felt like it was almost glossed over. I'm in charge of my own education, so at this point I have no excuse. That said, poetry almost always made me feel as if it was a chore to read it. I can read a novel until the cows come home, but poems are more difficult for me. I used to write them when I was in high school for fun, but I've always had trouble reading them. As the poems got more "advanced" the harder it was for me to follow along. My intentions when my kid enters this world is to read to him all sorts of poems, if only to get him accustomed to it. I wonder if part of it is ear training. Something to consider, I guess...