Yes, itâs mostly a ratings war that portrays the world we live in today as ugly, chaotic, violent and without mercy. It is performed at events called poetry slams, or simply slams. Required fields are marked *. His Twitter handle is @Kingsfirstdream about the link between politics and poetry: Langston Hughes and MLK. Poetry can make us connect to moments that would otherwise quietly slip by us. As such, both the historic and current role of poets in society is to engage, to influence and to inspire readers with mastery of language as intertwined with ideas and emotions. The analysis of this definition gives us the sense that the function of poetry is to ennoble the reader. Helping us to realize that weâre not as different as we think. The Beauty and Power of Classical Poetry. … ‘At all times, perhaps, the central point in any nation, and that whence it is itself really swayâd the most, and whence it sways others, is its national literature, especially its archetypal poems.'”. Or Riesling wine. And thanks for stopping by. Another idea I find implicit in these statements is that, while poetry can be an effective means for bringing our attention towards and better conceptualizing injustices, it can also play a dual-role in helping us cope with such injustices. writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative. However, that doesn’t mean questioning the current role of poetry in society is a pointless endeavor. This was a beautiful post. Rather, poetry is meant to be our companion throughout every stage of societal awareness. Poetry, if we let it and embrace it, can offer us a way to empathize with one another. Whether a particular poem translates the human ephemeral phenomenological experience in general into words, or translates the experience of one group of people to another, one thing is for certain: poetry isn’t going away anytime soon. I have a book of poems from her and many of them are my favorite because they can express how I am feeling when I don’t know the right words to express myself. Lidy continues her pursuit in writing more poetry collections and fantasy novels. was born on the idea of my poetry writing history. Poetry teaches us how to live. Stephen Burt, poet and professor at Harvard University–and former Kingsley & Kate Tufts Poetry Awards judge–explains: “Compared to the writing of poetry, few other human activities take place so widely, at least in America, absent even a tacit consensus as to why we do them, what good they do, [and] what function they serve.” Poet Daisy Fried expands upon the idea: “But politically-alert poetry is no more intrinsically useful than any other poetry…the kind of poetry written to make us feel better, for example” along with poet and professor Major Jackson: “The function of poetry is that it does not have any function beyond its own construction and being-in-the-world.”. Hi Doug, Yes! She later went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing, from Franklin Pierce University, where she spent the next four years knee deep in fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction workshops. Poetry’s strength lies in its ability to shed a “sideways” light on the world, so the truth sneaks up on you. Her poetry portrays a range of topics from the pressures to conform to societal expectations, friendship, monarch butterflies, partying, insomnia, and the quest for peace…just to name a few. He emphasized the importance of the poet in American society as critic, commentator, and "champion of the individual mind and sensibility." Poetry is important to the society for it represent the best form of our languages in written form. It is my antidote to despair, tiredness and loneliness; a thread that runs through my life. Ever since she was young, Lidy Wilks was often found completely submerged in the worlds of Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, Sweet Valley High and Nancy Drew. No question about it. This is evidenced through poetry’s multi-faceted ability to inspire us to action, highlight a previously unknown narrative, make us think critically, or simply to allow us to feel our humanity. “We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. In a time in which we are taking care to emphasize traditionally underrepresented narratives of groups of people more and more, I believe it is poetry’s ability to relay awareness of experience that cements its role in society at large. Poem of the week activitiescan be easily implemented to strengthen language arts lessons. The importance of poetry in today’s literary society is substantially important because it has an ability to express the thoughts and emotions of a writer through flowing words. He, before talking about what poetry should do, traces its role from ancient societies till date. Stay mighty and safe, Alice, Your email address will not be published. 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