Poetry, a Lost Art
Rekindle a Love for Poetry
"Back in the day" poets didn't just write about feelings and nature. Some, like William Butler Yeats, wrote about politics. Yeats used his poetry as an attempt to gain a unified Ireland. Langston Hughes used his talents to express the struggles of African Americans. Others wrote to immortalize someone close to them or someone well known like a queen. Alfred Lord Tennyson's "Break, Break, Break" expresses his distaste in society's reaction to death. Pomes of long ago express strong, deep emotions. It was an honor, and still is, to read them.
Today college students, as well as outside scholars, spend hours trying to discover the deep meanings of these poems. Some even try to replicate the intensity and meaning of the originals. Lines from poetry have been used in pop culture. The cartoon Family Guy used Dylan Thomas's line "Do not go gentle into that great night" in one episode. In the film Dangerous Minds, Thomas' poetry was compared to the music of Bob Dylan. We may not realize it, but poetry and other forms of literature are all around us.
Writing a good poem takes time and effort. So much needs to go into a poem: rhythm, meter, tone, and sometimes rhyme. Finding inspiration for a poem may take years and then the poet has to write something unique. Finding a publisher who will publish poetry is like finding a needle in a haystack. It took this poet over three years to find a publisher willing to publish poetry.
Centuries ago poetry was viewed as one of the finest of arts, even looked upon as a luxury. Henry David Thoreau sated in Walden "the works of the great poets have never yet been read by mankind, for only great poets read them." Poetry is read by other poets to improve their works as well as appreciate the works of fellow poets. Others read poetry out of necessity. Poetry shouldn't be something feared. One should look at poetry as something to simply enjoy.
Poetry should be viewed as a luxury once more, not as something to hard to understand. Next time you are in a bookstore, pick up a collection of poetry. You may be surprised, not to mention you'd be helping a struggling poet. Poets of today I suggest are Richard St. John and well myself, Jenn Weiss. Also look at the classic poets mention in this article.
Published by Jennifer Weiss
I'm a recent graduate of Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh. I have a published collection of poetry called "Beyond Sunsets" View profile
- The Portrayal of Love in Two PoemsLove is a complicated concept. Here, Ms. McFarlin explicates two poems about love that may help the reader understand it more.
- Sweet Gestures and Romantic Ideas to Express Your LoveWhether you see your sweetheart once a week or everyday and everynight, make a special effort to show how much you care. Love notes, massages, flowers and voicing the romantic thoughts in your head are great ways of e...
- Examination of Love in Literature, Circa 1400Focuses on love in two versions of "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" as well as "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight". Presumes that love is, and will always be, a timeless conversation.
- Startling Performances Make My Summer of Love Worth Its WaitPawel Pawlikowski's My Summer of Love is not a perfect film. It starts off sluggish and the pacing is uneven, but the acting is exceptional.
- Being Overly Conscious of True Love in SocietyIn a world where all we think about is love, one might conclude that it is this over-consciousness we have allowed to seep into our minds that is causing we a society to not find our true love.
- Chaos Vs. Form in Elizabeth Bishop's "One Art"
- Goddesses of Creativity: Arts, Poetry, Wisdom and Mythology
- Looking for Love
- Sharon Olds Explores Paternal and Sexual Love Between Father and Daughter in Her P...
- Joseph Brodsky's Famous Poem "Love Song" Discusses the Pros and Cons of Love
- Worcester Art Museum: Cultural Diamond in the Rough
- Open Mike Poetry Guide to Chicago
- Poetry is not the plague
- Poetry was once used for politics
12 Comments
Post a CommentThe insane obsession with originality has caused fanatical teachers to put down familiar old sayings as cliches which must be given the axe. Contra this, read Proverbs and Kipling's The Gods of the Copybook Headings. I also hope you would read some of my poetry and article on poetry on Associated Content.
...rare qualities in a man who was a philosopher! The King James Version has been watered down because people don't know English, thou is personal, you impersonal. The 23rd Psalm: "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil for Thou art with me..." The shift from the impersonal to the personal subtly alludes to the the fact that in great personal tragedy, we often draw close to God as never before. But of course, psalms aren't poetry because they don't rhyme, right? In the past, educators believed that "The formation of moral character was the chief end of education. Indeed, without a moral compass people are blind to much of what Christians understand to be reality. "A disciplined mind and and a cultivated heart are elements of power." Horace Mann, the founder of Secularist education who also belied in basic morality in public education. A popular book in public schools was One Hundred and One Famous Poems. My grade school teachers read it to us
Very interesting! There are many reasons for the decline of poetry, a somewhat paradoxical statement. There may be more poetry written today and it's easier to get published than ever before ( see the Poet's Market). However, the natural soil of poetry has been greatly eroded. Schools don't teach English, or if you like a very degraded form of it. Most high school graduates can't connect center with central. The classic book, The lost Tools of Learning, points out that schools no longer teach Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic. This shows up in recent translations of Augustine's Confessions. The Modern Library translation by Pusey reflects the fact that Augustine was a master of Rhetoric, recent translations show that the translators never heard of the subject: "Great art Thou oh Lord and greatly to be praised, great is Thy power and Thy wisdom , infinite..." Read these opening lines, they are beautiful and poetic, powerful, passionate and transporting, rare qualities
I actually wrote top ten list of poems just recently. To try and rekindle quality in poetry. I think poetry isn't gone, so much as just, evolved. If you look on YouTube there are two by an Aussie stand-up comic "Tim Minchin" called "Angry (feet)" and "Storm" they are VERY good, both of them. Enjoyed by a lot of people.
As a poet, I have great appreciation for this article. Lovely!
I like writing poetry, but am almost scared to post it here... Some of it is sub-par, such as the Christmas one I posted
Poetry needs to make a come-back! Great article.
I wouldn't say poetry is a lost art, though it may receive less attention nowadays than it did even half a century ago. Spoken word and slam poetry, in a way, have re-popularized the art. Some might compare those to rap, although in my opinion, a lot of spoken word is more eloquent and has deeper meaning than much of popular hip-hop.
it's not lost hon. Now we've met again.
Wonderful article on something that I have held dear all of my life. Poetry is not a lost art-it is an art form that is not accepted in our modern society due to the infatuation with sensationalism. It is a shame that so many talented poets take a back seat in the world of liberal arts, where other media take precedent over a art form to be cherished always. Two of my favorite poets, whom work is timeless, are-Kenneth Patchen and Kahlil Gibran, love the article-I'm adding you to my favorite CP list. Look forward to reading more of your work.