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Let Poetry Die |
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proclamations like the above topic title are always being made--and as usual the piece this title is taken from bemoans the lack of popularity poetry has beyond the halls of academia.
Quote:
Don’t Get Me Wrong I love poetry. But as far as the public is concerned, poetry died with the modernists. No poets ever filled their shoes. And though there remain a number of minor masters and one hit wonders, few passing pedestrians could name a poet from the last 50 to 60 years – let alone the same poet, let alone the title of a poem, let alone a first line. Even though I’ve never watched a single game of ice hockey from beginning to end, I know who Wayne Gretzky is. And even though I’ve never watched more than two holes of golf, I know that Tiger Woods is not just a gifted philanderer, but a great golfer. who is "the public?" and why should it care about poetry? the passing pedestrians, and their ignorance of contemporary poetics, sounds to me like an american-mainstream brand of cultural ignorance. as this blogger continues, he quotes john barr, president of the national poetry association, who says: Quote:
The need for something new is evident. Contemporary poetry’s striking absence from the public dialogues of our day, from the high school classroom, from bookstores, and from mainstream media, is evidence of a people in whose mind poetry is missing and unmissed. You can count on the fingers of one hand the bookstores in this country that are known for their poetry collections… what barr is touching on here through describing a poetryless people is a crisis of spirit in a material-centric culture consuming itself to collapse. of course "the public" doesn't care about poetry. we've been too busy snacking on the supposed global supremacy of brand america drizzled in high fructose corn syrup to spend any wasted time reflecting on the magical cadences of language. what got this particular writer on this particular rant is the death of ruth lily. the author explains, using again a comment from an institution that makes up the american poem industry: Quote:
Thanks to Ms. Lilly’s munificence, the programs of the Poetry Foundation bring poems to 19 million Americans who would not otherwise read or hear them. From the annual $100,000 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize honoring a contemporary poet’s lifetime accomplishment, to five Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships that go to aspiring poets, to ensuring Poetry magazine continues publishing in perpetuity, to a host of new programs and prizes established by the Poetry Foundation since receiving the bequest, Ruth Lilly’s legacy will allow millions of readers to discover the great magic of poetry for generations to come. ¶ “Poetry has no greater friend than Ruth Lilly,” said Poetry Foundation John Barr. why is this a bad thing? the blogger explains: Quote:
Lilly’s generosity is praiseworthy but… but… what if she had generously donated such wealth to the NFL, Pixar, or Random House? Why bother, many would ask, they’re already successful. The Poetry Foundation, on the other hand, was headed toward irrelevance, at best, and oblivion at worst. Lilly’s contribution (and contributions) to the Poetry Foundation are the only reason it is what it is today. In other words, it’s not through any intrinsic or hard-earned merit that the Poetry Foundation is surviving and flourishing today, but because of a drug baron’s fantastic wealth. The Poetry Foundation indirectly admitted as much. Without her, they tell us, 19 million Americans would not otherwise read or hear them. Without her, there would be no annual Poetry prize honoring contemporary poets. Without her, there would be no Poetry fellowships. Without her, millions wouldn’t be able to “discover the great magic of poetry for generations to come.” Of course, the last assertion begs the question, if the magic of poetry is so great, why in God’s name did it need $200,000,000 dollars to rouse it from its death rattle? Apparently, it’s not the magic of poetry that will bring the thrill of poetry to millions of readers , but the magic of 200,000,000 dollars. Will the organization be made any better for the money? – remains to be seen. Would they have survived without it? – who knows… Did they deserve to survive? – maybe not. i tend to agree. continued: Quote:
The survival of the fittest has been thwarted. On the other hand, this is precisely what the Poetry Foundation’s founder would have wanted. Wikipedia puts it this way: Quote:
Dana Goodyear, in an article in The New Yorker reporting and commenting on Poetry magazine and The Poetry Foundation, wrote that Barr’s essay was directly counter to the ideas of the magazine’s founder, Harriet Monroe, eight decades before. In a 1922 editorial, Monroe wrote about newspaper verse: “These syndicated rhymers, like the movie-producers, are learning that it pays to be good, [that one] gets by giving the people the emotions of virtue, simplicity and goodness, with this program paying at the box-office.” Monroe wanted to protect poets from the demands of popular taste, Goodyear wrote, while Barr wants to induce poets to appeal to the public. Goodyear acknowledged that popular interest in poetry has collapsed since the time of Monroe’s editorial. In other words, Monroe wanted poets to write without consequence. And when any human being, let alone poets, can act without consequence, the dogs of mediocrity, narcissism and hedonism will be let loose. In the past, public reception was the choke collar that largely kept mediocrity at bay, but when poets were able to create their own audience (themselves) all those checks and balances evaporated. It’s my own opinion that Monroe’s attitude is toxic and anathema to great art and poisonous to art in general. It’s a shame and the results are indisputable. When poets left their audience, their audience left them. i don't think "poets left their audience" as much as they were lured into the insular complacency of academic affirmation cocoons. and so what? who cares if these poets write cliquey drivel? the spirit of poetry is alive and doing just fine outside of academia. it doesn't need to be "reborn" like the blogger conclusively states. it needs to be acknowledged where it exists at its most vibrant and dynamic. rap, hip-hop, and slam poetry, though susceptible to its own cliches, has infused the american stagnation of language with much needed energy. and remember, this is an AMERICAN stagnation we are talking about. poetry in other countries is doing more than fine, and other "publics" are not as culturally vacuous as americans. overall i like this little shot at the american poetry industry, because it echoes some of the things i've thought and tried to articulate. but the problem is much bigger than a poetryless people. the problem is the system that forms our interests and beliefs. and as the system is dying, i can only hope poetry will be a small part of--if not rebirth--then survival |
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_________________ www.amerikandetritus.com |
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Lizard,
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lizard, i like the tricks you do with words
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Welcome Rudolf!
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thx DaveS
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thank you for the kind words, rudolf.
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_________________ www.amerikandetritus.com |
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DaveS wrote:
Lizard, I expect at some point it will travel full circle and poets will be writing in iambic pentameter again ... DaveS I can't wait for that, so I'll leave you with a quatrain from Persia's 4th most famous poet (behind Ferdowsi, Hafez and Sa'adi), Omar Khayyam. I selected one especially for Lizard 
They say the Lion and the Lizard keep The Courts where Jamshyd gloried and drank deep: And Bahram, that great Hunter--the Wild Ass Stamps o'er his Head, and he lies fast asleep. And this is my own personal favourite 'carpe diem' quatrain: And if the Wine you drink, the Lip you press, End in the Nothing all Things end in -- Yes- Then fancy while Thou art, Thou art but what Thou shalt be -- Nothing -- Thou shalt not be less. These are Fitgerald translations. The Persian originals are far more rhythmic, lyrical and, above all, naturally intelligible! |
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Parviz-
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"There is a merciful mechanism in the human mind that prevents one from knowing how unhappy one is."-WH Auden
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I often wonder
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_________________ namaste |
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What do you mean? When all is said and done
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Don't worry about saving these songs!
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_________________ namaste |
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Catlady, I am most impressed by your calmness and serenity in the face of global adversity, so for you I offer this personal homage:
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Nothing can be so benign and fine than our poetry exchange...
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DaveS, if that was autobiographical you must have had a fabulous childhood. |
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With an imagination any childhood can be fabulous. I've read stories by kids from the ghetto that made me envy their experiences as I'm sure they'd have loved to have spent time fishing in little creeks, building forts and running around like the little wild men we were. The '70's in northern california were no cake walk, and the ghettos may have been more genteel than the mountains – the mountains had lots of ex vietnam guys hiding from the world, some of the earliest meth labs, and of course all the scary problems associated with both.
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Winded roads, hard to travel
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it's wonderful to see so many great contributions in this thread. thank you everyone. the recent uptick in participation here has been, personally, greatly appreciated. |
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_________________ www.amerikandetritus.com |
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