How do I appreciate poetry?

I don't really mean in an exam or in school, I just mean in your own life in general. I love reading prose and I can enjoy reading drama as well, but somehow, poetry just doesn't influence me...I'm so objective when looking at peotry, it doesn't mean me emotional any way at all, unlike prose/drama

Do you have the same problem as me? If not, why exactly do you love poetry?

I'm trying to get into poetry and understand it but I just don't really get it. It's a challenge especially when facing an unseen exam paper in Literature.

I get what you mean. I love literature - especially prose and drama, but very rarely read poetry for pleasure. I enjoy picking it apart, just not really reading it and then moving on.

You seem to have two questions up there - the first being how to enjoy poetry.

I would say: try everything. Look online for "best poets" or something. I know that sounds a bit daft, but perhaps it'll help. You could try a poem or two by some of the poets you find and see if you connect with any of them.

If that doesn't work, try looking for poems of a particular theme you enjoy. For example, if you're really into the nature or something, look for Romantic poets; they love nature. Or perhaps you love philosophy or you want a poem that blows you away about the meaning of life.

But, agreed, I still haven't really found a poet or a poem that I think "WOW" about, unless I'm actually doing close analysis on it and realise there's an amazing deeper meaning to it and start to enjoy it a lot more.

With regards to understanding poetry if it's unseen, I would say just look at it line by line and ask yourself: "what might this be trying to convey?" I was doing a past paper with an unseen poem and the poem that came up was 'Cut Grass' by Philip Larkin. I had a feeling the poem might be a metaphor for dying before life has been fulfilled, but I wasn't completely sure. I would just say: go with your gut instinct, and as long as you work your quotes to support your ideas then you'll be fine.

I hope this helps!