Why God Continues to Make Poets

[TranquillityBase]

There was a column in yesterday's NY Times by this title, written by a religion columnist.  I'll put the link in, but I now many people don't have a subscription, so I wanted to post one paragraph from it here.  It was interesting to me, because it echoed Busker's poem Tiktaalik:


Another way to think about it is that we keep making poetry because it’s part of natural curiosity, exploration and discovery. I trace poetry back to the story in Genesis, when God brings all the creatures of the world before Adam and says, “You name it.” Poetry is created in the world as one of the very first vocations and tasks of human beings, because poetry very often is an attempt to name the world properly, because to name it is to know it. And if we’re going to know it well, we’ve got to name it well, and if we’re going to name it well, we’ve got to pay very careful attention to this world that God has made. So I also think of poetry as the art of attention. It’s the ability to pay attention to the world and produce for the world the name of something that must be known.

Here's the link, if you do have access:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/16/opini...Position=1

[busker]

I’m flattered that my pome caught your eye, TqB
I think the question raised by the post is interesting

The first novel in English is supposedly Pamela by Samuel Richardson, in the 17th century
The first novel in Europe was what…the Decameron? Don Quixote?
Outside of Europe, you have religious texts, drama, and technical treatises, not novels

But everyone has poetry.
Why?

Because in pre literate societies, poetry was the only way to pass down knowledge and traditions orally
But why was it easier to remember poetry than prose?
I think it’s because poetry stands at the intersection of language and music. Through prose you can make the blind see, but poetry can do all that and also make the deaf hear. Poetry lights up more parts of the brain than prose. That’s why we have an emotional response to it.

But lyrical prose also approaches poetry. Who can forget these lines having read them:

He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

[Wjames]

They say language is what separates humans from other animals, the ability to communicate complex and abstract ideas.

Art communicates abstract ideas and feelings in a well-thought out refined way, and poetry is the most direct way to do that in the medium of language - it's the most natural form of art for someone to try and pick up first, as everyone uses language all day everyday.

People will always consciously sculpt language into something that communicates feelings and emotions and ideas in the best way, even as poetry becomes a less and less 'relevant' medium.

[TranquillityBase]

People will always consciously sculpt language into something that communicates feelings and emotions and ideas in the best way, even as poetry becomes a less and less 'relevant' medium.

I confess I was disturbed by this thought (the italicized bit in particular), although sadly, I think poetry is fading in relevance in this particular age we find ourselves living through.

I would disagree about "people will always consciously sculpt language into something that communicates feelings....in the best way".   I find it rare to meet someone who speaks in that way, who make any effort to "sculpt" their language.  Maybe I'm just not around enough people, being somewhat isolated.  But I can think of only one or two folks who speak with any kind of eloquence among those I meet in my day to day interactions.  Maybe it's always been that way.

I think it our duty to keep poetry alive in some way, even if it's only a few of us.

[Mark A Becker]

As long as there are people there will be poems.
Some people are just better at it than others. Why?
Because they practice at it- read and write it.
I am a firm believer that anyone can become a good poet with practice.
practice, practice, practice
I also believe that practice trumps talent.
I’m just glad that I have more time to practice.
That, and enough free time to spend on an idea that just may work.

I also know that honest critique- giving and receiving it- makes us all better poets.
That also requires a lot of practice.

[Wjames]

People will always consciously sculpt language into something that communicates feelings and emotions and ideas in the best way, even as poetry becomes a less and less 'relevant' medium.

I confess I was disturbed by this thought (the italicized bit in particular), although sadly, I think poetry is fading in relevance in this particular age we find ourselves living through.

I would disagree about "people will always consciously sculpt language into something that communicates feelings....in the best way".   I find it rare to meet someone who speaks in that way, who make any effort to "sculpt" their language.  Maybe I'm just not around enough people, being somewhat isolated.  But I can think of only one or two folks who speak with any kind of eloquence among those I meet in my day to day interactions.  Maybe it's always been that way.

I think it our duty to keep poetry alive in some way, even if it's only a few of us.

I tend to agree with Leonard Cohen's definition of poetry:



There can be poetry in a smile, and no poetry in a poem.

I like art, and the medium isn't all that important to me. Poetry will live on forever as a medium because of its simplicity - anyone who knows language can create and consume it. You do not need paint, or a camera, or an oboe - just thought. 

I think that there is currently more good art being created and distributed than ever before, but the quality of mass media is at an all-time low (with some lovely exceptions). If you're serving a meal for billions of people, you don't want it to be too spicy.

At the same time, the internet has enabled so many people to create and share so many great pieces of art - it can just be difficult to find it in the mess of algorithms etc.

[TranquillityBase]

There can be poetry in a smile, and no poetry in a poem.

I like art, and the medium isn't all that important to me. Poetry will live on forever as a medium because of its simplicity - anyone who knows language can create and consume it. You do not need paint, or a camera, or an oboe - just thought. 

I think that there is currently more good art being created and distributed than ever before, but the quality of mass media is at an all-time low (with some lovely exceptions). If you're serving a meal for billions of people, you don't want it to be too spicy.

At the same time, the internet has enabled so many people to create and share so many great pieces of art - it can just be difficult to find it in the mess of algorithms etc.

Wj,

Thanks for this thoughtful reply.  Leonard Cohen is one of my heroes.  Both of you make very salient points.

"authority....music.....resonance":  one of the best defintions of poetry I've heard or read.

TqB