To some, reading poetry isn’t much different than reading prose (which is basically just text without a metrical structure). But reading poetry does have a different experience to it. There’s a rhythm to a poem, created by line breaks and (in certain cases) the specific number of syllables per line.
Poetry has a shape and a flow. It’s not always obvious at first, which is why some people don’t really like poetry, or “get it.” It often helps to read the poem aloud to hear the natural cadence. Or read it multiple times to get a better feel.
Contrary to popular belief, not all poems rhyme. And even poems that don’t take a real discipline to write. There’s a real economy of words that has to happen in order to pack so much meaning into that few words. So although most poems aren’t long, they’re dense—like pound cake.
Perhaps the best way to read poetry is slowly. Because of the relatively short length and format of poems, it’s tempting to read them quickly. Most poems are written to be dense—packed with meaning that must be unpacked with careful and calculated reading. This is probably another reason why poetry is not as popular to read in our day of speed and short attention spans.
Poetry is also effective when read aloud. This is in part because of it’s usually shorter length (at least compared to short stories and novel). But also because reading aloud helps bring out the natural rhythm and flow of a poem. Reading poetry audibly is an art within itself.