Poetry is seen as a way to express your thoughts, feelings, and ideas. This sort of expression is as important as the value the person puts in it. What if the value of that person’s “poetry” is only seen in someone else’s opinion? There are people who crave the opinion of others regarding their thoughts and ideas. Is an opinion really important if the mind is only as capable of understanding one’s own perception? Is it selfish to live among your own thoughts, what is poetry if opinion is abolished? The reason I am asking so many questions is because I don’t exactly know the importance of poetry. Yes it is important to express one’s own perceptions or mysteries, but what is the point to know what other’s think about it?
There are those who ask that about everything. What is the point for water? For air? For existence? It is hard to just assume my questions are as important as poetry. But is poetry as important as the opinions someone has towards them. I see the value of poetry only in yourself. The only person that can understand them. Why must a person who expresses their poetry in writing become a professional or famous? What makes an expression better then the other? I’ve always asked myself, what would an extraterrestrial being do if they are given two written poems and is told to choose the best one? If they are as mentally advanced as many people assume, I would think they wouldn’t choose. I think they would give it back to you and tell you that the only answer is in the writer’s mind and ask you in return, why does their opinion matter?
Funny that I’m going to ask a question that contradicts my whole blog post, but what do you think?
Famuel13, I love your probing questions regarding poetry. As a poet, I understand your perception on the importance of opinion. Honestly, I think poetry will be useless without opinions. I don’t care if my views of a poem are congruent with the author’s intentions (although I enjoy knowing what the message was “supposed” to be). I think that poetry, like many other artistic mediums, is a way to connect with others. Even if your perception of a poem or painting differs from others, there is an elusive sense of connection and understanding when someone explains to you what they see or believe and you reply “Hmm ok, I get what your saying”.
My point is, you will always know your opinions and views. Yet, this assurance and stern stance may be swayed when you are introduced to a different perspective. Poetry will be NOTHING if opinions were abolished. This is scary for me to imagine. For words will have no beauty, suspense, or misery. They will be simply meaningless to my soul, as if staring at a blank canvas and trying to uncover a meaning behind it.
Fantastic, searching post, Famuel — more like this, please!
There are as many reasons for writing poetry as there are people. There are poets who write to become famous and/or to have their voices heard; there are poets who write because it’s the best way they know to communicate their thoughts; and there are poets who write simply because the act of crafting language gives them pleasure.
What I love about your post is that it is essentially asking us what poetry means, how it means, and how it can possibly be “worth” anything to others. These are fantastic questions that we would do well to ask ourselves throughout the semester.
Wow funny you asked so many questions but I think those are truthful questions to ask because you’re right. I also agree that only the poet can truly say what he/she is saying in their poem, even though readers may critically sit to analyze word for word of what they think might be the meaning behind these poetic words but they may still be entirely wrong it. Who is to say a poem is a poem? I also think that its a good idea for people to try to give their own meaning to poems because ask yourself if we all think alike and have the same thoughts and questions and answers, then where is the fun? what would our world be like? we need difference in our lives because difference is what brings many things into our lives and differences brings ideas, thoughts, inventions, mysteries etc.