How to read a poem — Harvard Gazette

How to read a poem — Harvard Gazette

Illustration by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff Arts & Culture How to read a poem Ideally over a lifetime, says New Yorker’s Kevin Young December 16, 2025 3 min read Kevin Young ’92 is the poetry editor at The New Yorker and the former director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. He was the 2024 recipient of the Harvard Arts Medal. His most recent book is “Nigh…