Religion and Poetry

We’ll never know how a 13th century poet meant for his poem to be interpreted. The most we can do is look out for hints in the poem’s pattern, the poet’s word choice, and even in the poem’s title. But give the same poem to two different people, and the possibility of them having the same interpretation is rare, yet neither seems bothered that the other doesn’t share their view.

But when it comes to religious texts, the poem rule doesn’t apply. It’s as if it is necessary that everyone interprets the text exactly like we do, otherwise they are not worthy of being called a Muslim, Christian or Jew. Imagine a university setting a universal interpretation on every line in Hamlet, 1984, or even Harry Potter. Authors, Students, Teachers and any person who has read any of these books would immediately deny any claim of a universal interpretation. Would violence erupt? Would sects emerge within these scholars, each claiming their interpretation of these novels to be the “truth”?

I beleive they would. I beleive that if someone names themself an authority on a matter, it is guaranteed there will be someone to challenge that authority. The problem lies not in trying to find the true interpretation of a text, but in the imposition of the interpretation. One does not need to look farther then in the mirror to realize that anything dealing with spirituality is an internal struggle, an internal jihad. You take what you can from a text to better yourself and the way you treat others. If that means you don’t hold a “universal” interpretation, that doesn’t mean you have the wrong idea, nor does it mean you should try to persuade others. The most you can do is share with others your point of view when they ask why you’ve decided to live your life the way you are living it.

In my experience, every religious text is practicality masked in storytelling. The basic, “What did you learn?” that goes further to ask “How can you apply it to your life to better it?” The betterment lies in the application of our texts, whether we find the answer in our own interpretation or in another’s.