09/20/96: A poem's not a poem not a poem

Posted By: Player Queen

q -

There will always be poetry of the very best quality, and if its quality doesn't ultimately ensure its immortality, then at least it might have fired and emotion or changed a life or two.

And there will be plenty of poets who either write with an eye to the pocketbook (you read them in Hallmark cards) or who lack the skills to make their work first-rate. Both still have the potential to connect with readers.

HOWEVER, if no one is reading the really high quality poetry, then standards get debased out of sheer ignorance, and people start to mistake Helen Steiner Rice (I think that's her name) for a good poet.

In sum, poetry is utterly democratic, but like all forms of art, needs to abide by some rules if it wants to be remembered past next Tuesday.

Post a response to this discussion thread