The Demise of Poetry?
I like to amuse myself with the ignorance that seems to plague American society these days. One of my current favorites is the belief that poetry is a dead art form. I find this especially humorous, since poetry is an important part of humanity’s history and future. Poetry exists. It isn’t dead, dying, or just suddenly vanishing from memory and textbooks.
Turn on the radio - there it is. Pop in a CD by any artist worth the plastic their stuff is recorded on. Check out the local Borders bookstore or library. I can assure you that you will find poetry, without even breaking a sweat.
Is it possible that people are so ignorant as to what poetry really is, that they think it is dead? Maybe. Some of these critics are ‘educated’ journalists, that haven’t a clue about what real poetry is. They seem to believe that poetry is the stuff of Keats, Millay, Wordsworth and Dickenson. All of whom were incredible creative forces, but sadly are not the ‘fashion’ of today. As with any other art form, poetry has evolved based on societal changes, cultural backgrounds, historical events, and ever-changing personal tastes. Poetry is no longer ‘fluff and rhymes’ as some label the poetry of the greats. Poetry is political unrest, dysfunction, poor self-image, and lost opportunities. Poetry is emotion; pure, unadulterated emotion. (more…)
