1435: ars poetica, 2019 by Airea D. Matthews - The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Summary4 min read

Episode Overview

Podcast: The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily
Host: Maggie Smith
Episode: 1435: ars poetica, 2019 by Airea D. Matthews
Date: January 15, 2026

In this episode, Maggie Smith offers her daily poetic reflection by exploring Airea D. Matthews’ poem “ars poetica, 2019.” Smith delves into why poetry can often seem inaccessible and encourages listeners to approach poetry with the ease and pleasure we bring to music. The episode presents the poem as a welcoming invitation for all readers, regardless of familiarity with poetry.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Why Poetry Feels Inaccessible

Common Uneasiness: Smith acknowledges that even among avid readers, many feel uneasy or “not a poetry person.”
- Quote: “I also know people who are a little uneasy with poetry. I've met plenty of people who've confessed to me I love to read, but I don't get poetry. Or they might simply say I'm not a poetry person.” [01:00]
Roots in Education: She attributes this discomfort to how poetry is first introduced in schools—primarily through analysis and a focus on deciphering meaning.
- Quote: “Our first formal education in poetry is often high school...this still entails reading poems from the canon...and explicating them, discussing the literary devices… and explaining what the poems mean.” [01:40]

Poetry vs. Music: A New Approach

Experiencing Art Authentically: Smith compares engaging with poetry to listening to music, suggesting both can be enjoyed without the pressure to analyze:
- “When I listen to a song or a record, I'm not trying to figure out what it means. I'm having a pleasurable experience with someone else's art, letting the sounds wash over me and gleaning what I can from it.” [02:25]
No Need for Full Understanding:
- “I can love a song without fully getting it, and thankfully there's not going to be a quiz. We can engage with poems like this too, especially outside of the classroom.” [02:45]
Encouragement to Feel, Not Analyze: She urges listeners to read poetry for pleasure and to allow themselves to be moved rather than focusing solely on interpretation:
- “We can allow ourselves to be moved and changed.” [03:05]

Introducing “ars poetica, 2019”

An Invitation into Poetry: Smith describes today’s poem as “an invitation into poetry,” where the listener is free to “move freely” and find welcome.
Setting the Stage:
- “Today's poem feels to me like an invitation into poetry, into a space where the reader or listener can move freely. I hope you find yourself welcome.” [03:15]

Poem Presentation: “ars poetica, 2019” by Airea D. Matthews

Smith reads the poem in full, which begins with a woman questioning if poetry is “meant to be inaccessible.” The poem responds with compassion, suggesting that poems contain spaces of relief—“pockets of air where lightning twice strikes.” This section is a highlight of the episode, both in its delivery and thematic resonance.

Notable Excerpts from the Poem:
- “A woman who doesn't read many poems asks, is poetry meant to be inaccessible? If she's supposed to feel caught in a thicket...without a boned shiv to free herself and no one near enough to offer their blade Trapped in the tangle as language vines her neck to choke her out or fold her...” [03:50]
- “Every poem has them pockets of air where lightning twice strikes.” [04:30]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

On Letting Go of Anxiety Around Poetry
- “Maybe a lyric jumps out at me, maybe a melody or harmony, maybe some instrumentation. My point is that I can love a song without fully getting it...We can read and listen for pleasure.” (Maggie Smith) [02:25]
The Heart of the Episode:
- “Every poem has them pockets of air where lightning twice strikes.” (Airea D. Matthews, read by Maggie Smith) [04:30]
Host’s Invitation to Listeners:
- “I hope you find yourself welcome.” (Maggie Smith) [03:17]

Timestamps for Key Segments

[00:56] — Introduction and Smith’s personal thoughts on poetry’s reputation
[01:40] — Reflection on how high school education shapes perceptions of poetry
[02:25 – 03:05] — Comparison between engaging with poetry and music
[03:15] — Introduction to today's poem as an invitation to explore poetry freely
[03:50 – 04:30] — Full reading of Airea D. Matthews’ “ars poetica, 2019”
[04:35+] — Episode closes with a reminder of The Slowdown’s mission to connect people to poetry

Conclusion

This episode gently dismantles the myth of poetry’s inaccessibility, inviting listeners into a space of ease and exploration. Through personal reflection and the reading of “ars poetica, 2019,” Maggie Smith models a way to approach poetry with curiosity, openness, and the joy of discovery—free from the anxieties of traditional analysis. The episode is a loving affirmation for anyone wishing to feel at home with poetry, whether experienced or new to the form.

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Transcript3 lines

[00:01]
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[00:56]
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I'm Maggie Smith and this is the Slowdown. I love poetry. Of course I do. I'm hosting the show every weekday and you're here listening. So I think we have this love of poetry in common. But I also know people who are a little uneasy with poetry. I've met plenty of people who've confessed to me I love to read, but I don't get poetry. Or they might simply say I'm not a poetry person. Believe it or not, I understand. I think most of us grow up telling stories and reading stories, so narrative becomes second nature. But somehow poetry feels trickier, more difficult, more challenging, less accessible. I think this may be in part because of how we first encounter poetry. We may have learned nursery rhymes as small children, and we may have read Shel Silverstein or other fun poems in elementary school. But our first formal education in poetry is is often high school. In many schools, this still entails reading poems from the canon, the classics and explicating them, discussing the literary devices used by the authors and explaining what the poems mean. Listen, I love poetry, and I'll be honest, that wouldn't have excited teenage me. Teenage me wanted to read Sylvia Plath and Nikki Giovanni and Donald hall and Charles Simic. I wanted to read those poems and highlight my favorite lines the way I would do with my favorite songs. Sometimes I wish we could engage with poetry the way we engage with music. When I listen to a song or a record, I'm not trying to figure out what it means. I'm not preparing an argument or gathering evidence. I'm not doing a post mortem on techniques. I'm having a pleasurable experience with someone else's art, letting the sounds wash over me and gleaning what I can from it. Maybe a lyric jumps out at me, maybe a melody or harmony, maybe some instrumentation. My point is that I can love a song without fully getting it, and thankfully there's not going to be a quiz. We can engage with poems like this too, especially outside of the classroom. We can read and listen for pleasure. We can allow ourselves to be moved and changed. Today's poem feels to me like an invitation into poetry, into a space where the reader or listener can move freely. I hope you find yourself welcome. Ars Poetica 2019 by Ara D. Matthews A woman who doesn't read many poems asks, is poetry meant to be inaccessible? If she's supposed to feel caught in a thicket without a boned shiv to free herself and no one near enough to offer their blade Trapped in the tangle as language vines her neck to choke her out or fold her Weary from all the sensory wrestling I tell her absent sight sound serves touch matters that she might bend, bramble away, move to the quiet clearing. Every poem has them pockets of air where lightning twice strikes. The Slowdown is a production of American Public Media in partnership with the Poetry Foundation. To get a poem delivered to you daily, go to slowdownshow.org and sign up for our newsletter. Find us on Instagram lodownshow and blueskylowdownshow.org. Hi, it's Maggie. The Slowdown is the only poetry podcast in public media. That means your support is vital to keep us going. No matter how much you give, your contribution makes a real difference. Head to slowdownshow.org donatetoday to power more Poems into the Future.