28.02.21: The Role of Poetry
This week I discuss my thoughts the importance of poetry, and one of the roles it plays in our society.
Robert Frost once said that poetry was a condition, not a profession, and I think this sentiment resonates strongly with those of us who spend our days writing. Nobody chooses poetry because they’re expecting it to bring fame and fortune, or because it’s a reliable way to pay the bills. But why is this?
Many people go into art, music, film and television with dreams of selling millions, whereas any publisher will tell you that selling more than a few hundred copies of a poetry book is no mean feat (speaking from experience, most publishers and literary agents simply aren’t interested in poetry, because they don’t consider it financially viable).
Not only do I disagree with this categorisation of poetry as a niche format, but I think it does a major disservice to an art form that has a well established and hugely important role in our society - perhaps now, more than ever. But, before we get into that, let’s circle back to Robert Frost.
There is this idea of poetry as being a cathartic practice - something a writer does because they have to, because it’s the only way to deal with their own internal demons. But I’m not sure this is true, not really.
While I do think writing poetry can help us to explore and make sense of our own emotions, unpacking deeply traumatic experiences for the creation of art can be triggering, exhausting and extremely difficult. The truth is, writing can bring a trauma all of its own.
There is clearly a therapeutic benefit to practices like journaling, and to exploring creativity as a method of self-expression, but I do not consider writing poetry to be an effective self-help tool. The important word in that last sentence is writing - because I think reading poetry can be hugely beneficial when it comes to confronting, processing and dealing with complex emotions, whether it’s trauma, loss, love or anything in between.
I truly believe that writing real poetry is not of the most benefit to the writer, but instead to the reader. The writing process is something the poet endures, in order to help others who aren’t able to articulate and make sense of their experiences in the same way. Being a poet is a not a condition, or a profession, it’s a calling.
Understanding this distinction is, I think, important in understanding the role - and importance - of poetry in our society. Not only today, but throughout human history. Billy Collins once referred to poetry as the ‘history of the human heart’, and I think that’s a beautifully accurate description of how poetry has carried the most difficult to decipher elements of the human condition. In the same way historians chart our wars, technological growth or social movements, poets record the evolution of how we grieve, how we grow, how we love.
I also think it’s important to examine why the public perception of this art form is so often dismissive, despite its value to society. Most people will acknowledge that poetry can be beautiful, but comparatively few will choose to read it (whereas music, film, television and scores of other forms of artistic expression benefit from far wider public adoption). When someone says to me they don’t really like poetry, I usually tell them they just haven’t found the poet that speaks to them, or perhaps, speaks for them.
Maybe the way we study poetry in school is to blame for this. We grow up analysing poetry that is often deeply complex and opaque, and the struggle of trying to interpret the author’s meaning and intention can be frustrating, particularly for younger students. While this kind of poetry obviously has a place, it can leave people with a poor opinion of poetry as an enjoyable art form - certainly not something they are likely to enjoy in their spare time.
I think this kind of work, while academically and intellectually satisfying, can do a disservice to what poetry should really be about. It is not the job of poetry to mask emotions in complex language and metaphor, but rather to allow for the exploration of complex emotions through accessible language. When poetry achieves this, it becomes something deeply important and transformative for the reader, often allowing them to feel understood, seen, and ultimately, less alone.
This role has been played by poetry throughout civilisation, from wars and famine through to moments of enlightenment, joy, and hope.
And I think this role is particularly significant during a period of collective trauma, such as a global pandemic. Millions of people around the world have experienced a year filled with anxiety, loss, heartache, fear and confusion, not to mention economic hardship. Poetry can help us process and understand these emotions in a way few other creative forms can, and I believe it should - and will - become as important to us as it has ever been.
A quick Google search will tell you that poetry is enjoying something of a resurgence in recent years, with platforms like Instagram leading a surge in sales globally. For some, this is indicative of a ‘dumbing down’ of the traditional form, with poetry being reduced to quotable lines and short, often one dimensional snippets of prose. While I do think there is some validity in that argument, for me, the growth of forms like micropoetry is a positive, and likely symptomatic of the collective need for understanding - for healing.
The growth in the popularity of poetry is important, because it points to a real need for the catharsis offered by these things we write. And because we are going to need poetry in the months and years to come.
Yours,
Blake
Such a different perspective that greatly needed to be said. And the last sentence, I believe that too. There is no doubt, this is your calling. 💙