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I will freely confess that I was one of those students who hated reading books in English class, where we dissected them to bits searching for hidden meanings. It wasn't that I didn't believe that authors filled their books with meanings, I just didn't buy my English teachers' interpretations of the symbolism (I still don't). I suppose I owe those English teachers some praise though, because I still look for meaning in books and appreciate that authors like Shannon Hale continue to put symbols in themes in their novels.
Surely no one believes Robert Frost just threw a bunch of pretty words together with no thought about meaning. Of course there will always be unique connections and meanings a reader will bring to a piece of writing. Readers have their own experiences, beliefs, needs. That's part of the magic of reading. But that doesn't mean a writer takes no thought, especially not one like Robert Frost who poured and ached over each poem.
I was on an author panel once when a teen girl in the audience asked if writers really intend to put in all those symbols and themes and such that their English teachers have them ferret out. I had to respond, "Sorry, yes, some of us do." She seemed disappointed. Her English teacher found me after to thank me. I empathize with the students. I was such a student once and worn down by having to tear apart stories instead of just read for pleasure, but I think it was an invaluable exercise. The ability to analyze a text has been a huge boon for me, both as a student of any discipline and as a writer.
