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What does Porritt reveal about conventions of reading in "Read This Poem From the Bottom Up"?
Jennifer Woods
When I first looked at Porritt's piece,Read This Poem from the Bottom Up, I didn't think she was serious. I thought maybe she wrote that to catch the readers attention, but I also thought of how unusual and difficult a task that would be. So at first, I went with what I was used to and read it from top to bottom. Okay, sounds good, I thought until I actually read it from the bottom up. Totally different meaning!?!? I felt that reading it from the bottom up had a strong meaning that it actually took me to a place where I had never been.Porritt has taken poetry to a new level in which this poem has two different meanings, depending on which direction the reader decides to read it. I have never encountered such a work, but I was impressed. Porritt revealed to readers that the written word can have more than one message/meaning;but in the end, it all depends on how the reader interprets the material. We, as readers, are accustomed to reading from top to bottom, that we even doubt that something can make sense if read the other way. Porritt defeats this "belief" in that she provides readers with a work with a double meaning. I suppose she wanted us to interpret it as one of the many ways people can use the written word as an art form, but it also takes us out of our comfort zone. She reminds me of one of the purposes of the written word- to challenge the mind or to make us think/wonder about the possiblities. Yes, I will admit that I was uncomfortable reading it from the bottom, but as I read it (out loud, there was no other way for me to understand it) I began to understand Ruth Porritt. She is a poet who wants readers to explore all parts of written works, investigate, and question why a writer might have chosen that word OR placed it in that sentence. Readers often takes poems, novels, and short stories for granted. We think okay, this will have beginning,middle, and end;however, Porritt reminds us that when it comes to the written word, we, as writers have the power to change time and the way people percieve things. She urges us to take advantage of the power and use the element of surprise/awe for our audience. Readers have become use to beginning, middle, and end as ordinary and this poems encourages writers/poets to get rid of ordinary and put some new "flavor" in to the writing world.

Jennifer :)