Punctuation Or Not

[milo]

Touche; the question, then, is what is art? I'm simply not a person comfortable with putting parameters on that question. It's like the Supreme Court said about porn, "We'll know it when we see it." I'll know art when I see it. Until then, adhering to strict guidelines is unnecessary.

Art is quite clearly subjective. If some like it with rhyming schemes, punctuation and other mechanics, then that's great and there are great examples of those poems. However, likewise, there are perfectly valid and great examples of poetry that wouldn't fall under any of that.

A poet needs to have every tool in his toolbox. Some poems will call for punctuation, some for meter, some for rhyme, etc. It is foolish /as a writer/ to neglect the tool due to personal preference, preference is for readers.

Oh, I don't disagree. The toolbox is valuable and know-how therein is necessary, but I don't think it's all that there is or should be when conceiving poetry (other writing) and/or criticizing poetry (other writing).

A tool box should be all there is because everything needs to be in it.

Until you find something new. Then that goes in it too.

As for art being subjective (must we speak in cliches?) yes, for consumers of art it is subjective. It is a luxury producers cannot have.