I suppose, the easiest answer to this would be that poetry is only something important to those who love literature and understand it, but like poetry - this answer isn't something that is supposed to be easy. How you interpret poetry is how it affects you and I believe that it affects everyone; if even just a little.
According to the Oxford dictionaries poetry is defined as;
Literary work in which the expression of feelings and ideas is given intensity by the use of distinctive style and rhythm; poems collectively or as a genre of literature.
But if poetry is all about interpretation, why is there a definition that limits it?
Poetry is important to me because it helps me express how I'm feeling and in general gives me something to work on, for some people that's reading about physics or working with watercolours. For myself, it is poetry. Poetry is something that brings me joy because when read it makes you think. About what exactly? I don't know and a lot of the time I'll admit, I stare at a poem unable to decipher it's deeper meaning or message but I believe that's where it holds a vast amount of power. When I write a poem, sure I let other people read it and I love if they like it, but I didn't write it for them. I write for myself, and I think even if your career is all about poetry and you're Owen Sheers or Carol Ann Duffy, you still write for yourself. To make yourself proud because a feeling, thought or memory you've had is finally in words that you feel are right. Self expression through any form of media, literature or art will always be for the individual. Not everybody has to understand the story or relate to it, they can just appreciate that it's exactly the way the poet wanted it to be written to describe it.
A lot of people (I know a few) don't understand poetry and don't want to understand it and that's okay. I myself don't like coffee (I know, judge me), but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the smell of it and all that coffee has done for others, how it makes them feel and the power it creates (c'mon, Starbucks?). So ignoring that weird metaphor, you don't have to like or even acknowledge poetry for it to still be powerful. Yet, I'm sure a lot of people are actually unaware of what poetry has actually done except give the stereotype that all poets are pretentious and we only read poetry because we want to sound smart (that's just down to personality).
One of my friends really appreciates rap and many people state that rap is either a form of poetry or something similar.
My friend stated the following:
"I listen to rap because I can relate to it more than other forms of expression. A lot of it is about coming from a poorer area and managing to just power through and 'come up'. I can appreciate lyrics like Kendrick Lamar's, but not relate to them because of the links to violence and gangs, because I've never experienced that but I understand it and still want to listen to him.
Tyler, The Creator is someone I relate to because it's about a kid who doesn't know who he is or where he's going, and that's easier to relate to for me. He has a song 'Pot Holes' and he explains how material items make him feel good and how the road in front of him has pot holes that make it more difficult for the expensive car he's driving."
Perhaps we can take from this that a lot of the ways we interpret lyrics or poetry has a lot to do with ourselves. If you search for yourself in someone else's story it helps you not only understand your own feelings but appreciate theirs. I don't hold any expertise when it comes to rap so I'm not going to answer whether I believe it's a form of poetry, because it holds its own as a genre of music, but that's not to say I can't see the links because I definitely can.
However, staying with the theme of music, poetry has inspired countless songs that you're probably either familiar with or wish you were:
- '39 - Queen
- Bare Trees - Fleetwood Mac
- Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter - Iron Maiden
- Colour Spectrum - Coldplay
- Golden Slumber - The Beatles
- I Wanna Be Yours - Arctic Monkeys
- The Man Who Sold the World - David Bowie
I could go on and on about the link between music and poetry. All of these songs either take lyrics from, are based on or are inspired by poetry. They might not exist and definitely wouldn't be the same without poetry. Hence, it must be brought to attention that poetry might not be important to you, but it can lead to something that is.
...But you still don't have to like poetry. You're very welcome to hate it because that means that somehow it's had an effect on you. Poetry as a collective or maybe as a single poem or maybe by proxy, has had an effect on you somehow whether you acknowledge it or not; One-line poems, Sonnets, Slam poetry, Limericks, Haiku, ect...
The are so many forms it's difficult to even comprehend that none of these can manage to speak to some people, because that's okay. I'm sure they like tea instead of coffee.
Therefore, poetry doesn't have to be important to everyone and the fact of the matter is that it's not. Yet, poetry is important because of it's social, political and economic effects. It raises questions about tough topics such as mental health. It presents individuals with a solace. It gives collectives a way to connect. It provides a means of self-expression. It affects other forms of self-expression.
It is often just ink on paper, but it is powerful ink on paper, and that is important to me.
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