After commenting on a blog I've been thinking further. It's fair to say we cannot know someone just through their writing, but poetry tends to come from within.

Does this mean you stand more chance of knowing a poet through their verse than other forms of writing?

My argument is that you cannot, as I have written about many subjects that have not happened in my life. Tried to convey feelings that have been felt from others when they have told their story to me, but they are not my own.

So my question in general is what do you lot think? Can you really know thy poet?

It depends, I suppose, on your definition of the word 'know'. The extent of the 'knowing'. You can know something of a person through their writing. For instance, one writer I know and with whom I have argued about whether all writing is autobiographical finally agreed that the fact that he did not put himself in his poetry actually DID say something about him (he is someone who hides his private life away from his work) and, thus, allowed us to know something of him.
When we put pen to paper we reveal ourselves in some way or other thus allowing others to know something of us. Even the act of offering our words to others says somehting about us (we want others to read our words, perhaps?).
Now what does the above say about me? Do you now know me any better?

Good points! Do you think it could be that as writers of poetry we understand better that it is not always autobiographical and so we credit other writers with the same perspective when reading their work?

Then you have Joe Reader who doesn't write, is their perspective different to the writers and they really do believe they are looking into the private life of the writer?

My wife read some of my poems recently and now she is convinced I live a private life full of all sorts of strange characters getting up to no good. Normally she'd stay away from reading my scribbling and so in a sense they are a private world. She's almost convinced herself she doesn't know me because she doesn't recognise the voice of the poetry.

I think I've drawn the conclusion that reading all poems as autobiographical is bad for your mental health!

I agree. Friends of mine have read my poetry and come up with all kinds of strange conclusions. Without sounding too pretentious, I like to think of my poems as extensions of reality. Lots of ideas come from a situation or a feeling and then head off in another direction. Then again everything is open to interpretation and I guess that's part of the fun...

I love the fact that my friends frequently it wrong, but un-less it is something that would cause me trouble i usually leave them too it.. lol