Andrey's questions about poems (split from the intro thread)

[AndreyGaganov]

Can't even begin to comment on that.  If a colour-blind man sees only shades of grey, does that make the sky less blue to others?

Your reply has to do with a physical perception, a condition no one can do anything about (supposedly). My concern here is with the sonic/musical aspect of poetry. I really don't know how you can connect these two dots.

What's a 'physical perception'? Language, music, and colour are sensory perceptions that are processed in different areas of the brain. The causes are physiological in both cases.

My point here was this: I was questioning the musicality of poetry (which is an ongoing debate here), but color-blindness a condition in Leanne's scenario isn't questionable. That's why I've pointed out at the time that her comparison of (1) relativity due to a physiological condition with (2) relativity of musical perception of poetry makes no sense. 

Anyway, I feel like this portion is getting much too convoluted for everyone's good and will achieve nothing but exasperation for everyone involved. 

ii) Andrey can't appreciate poetry. Why? This seems to be what the discussion has been about so far. iii) Andrey can't appreciate poetry. Can you please help him? Fair enough, and leads on from (ii).

Yes. Thank you. Let's work with (ii).

2. You haven't read good poetry, or have started with poetry that is meant for people who already have an appreciation of the basics. 
The roots of poetry lie in oral traditions, in epics. At its most basic, poetry is about sonics and rhythm. Rhyme adds an extra layer of rhythm to the lines. Why do we like it? Because it's elemental, it's hardwired in our brains. Rhythmic poetry is something that our brains respond to. If you don't like the basic sing-song rhythm of https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-a...tail/50259 then your brain is wired differently, and just like some people can't see the colour blue or can't smell certain scents, you will not get poetry. There's nothing you can do or discuss.

That's very unfortunate ... and discouraging, though it may mean nothing to you. I thought there was a stronger attraction to poetry then that of just mere rhyming and rhythms. Having sounds and rhythms that stick in your poem seems neat to me at best, but how you get an ear-gasm from the cold mix of vowels, consonants, and rhymes alone is beyond me. Based on what you've said, it appears that one must have a very strong passion for any kind of sound to appreciate poetry. Correct me if I'm wrong. 

On an additional note: You seem to be insinuating that someone who gets poetry can at the very least derive pleasure from vowels, consonants, rhymes, and rhythms. By that logic, with some effort I could passionlessly write a poem that features alliteration, assonance, rhymes, and rhythms, and thus score really high in the mind of the reader/reciter. Correct me if I'm wrong. 

But if you now move to https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-a...tail/45217
It's harder to appreciate, but the rewards are greater. The rhythm and rhyme scheme are more complex, and the last line almost sounds like it's being piped through a flute.

Honestly, I really don't know where you got the idea for the flute. I've never heard words being piped through a flute. And I've heard some mean flute playing; never heard a single progressive rock flautist do what you've just described. 

Of course, if you've read The Wasteland's Fire Sermon and are coming ... 

Sorry, ... never read it. It's never been taught to me. 

You are not here to actually have a discussion, but an argument, and waste everybody's time. I am not saying that you necessarily are, but that it's a possibility. In that case, I'd recommend you watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnTmBjk-M0c

(Before I forget: a truly hilarious video.) I see your point (now that I'm looking at this post of mine in its entirety). So, I suppose that in order for me to explore the full potential of the basics of poetry without crossing into the 'argument' territory on this forum, I should find good poetry, the right literature for poetry initiates. Not that I have a choice. I just hate giving up on something that promises intellectual/cultural growth of a human mind.