It is difficult to get the news from poems,
yet men die miserably every day for the lack of what is found there.
William Carlos Williams
One of the great joys of blogging is the opportunity to interact with other people who love poetry, many of whom are poets themselves. It's a social pleasure that I rarely encounter in my day-to-day life offline. Perhaps it's an unjustifiable cultural bias of mine, but most of my fellow Americans seem to head for the exits at the mere mention of poetry.
Thanks to an extraordinary teacher I had in high school, poetry has been a constant companion of mine for more than five decades. When I have felt friendless and alone, poetry has offered its friendship and reminded me that I am not the first to undertake this uncertain voyage; nor shall I be the last. When I have felt bewildered and lost, poetry has provided a bright lodestar against which I could take my bearings and find my way. And when I have found myself stymied over the inability to understand the true essence of love—this pervasive ideal that seems impossible to define with any precision—poetry has always revealed something so beautiful, so simple and unexpected, that I could say at last, "yes, this is what love feels like."
I'm digressing a bit here, for the main point of this post is to share some wonderful observations I have come across recently about the unique importance of poetry in our lives. The first quote comes from V.V. Raman, who is a theoretical physicist, rather than a poet himself. All of the other quotes are from former poets laureate of the United States, and are found in The Poets Laureate Anthology (2010).
V.V. Raman
(From Interview with Krista Tippett in Einstein's God)
[P]oetry is what gives meaning to existence. Not fact and figures and charts, but poetry. Poetry is essentially a really sophisticated way of experiencing the world. And it is much more than mere words and stories. Poetry is to the human condition what the telescope and the microscope are to the scientist.
W.S. Merwin
Prose is about something, but poetry is about what can't be said. Why do people turn to poetry when all of a sudden the Twin Towers get hit, or when their marriage breaks up, or when the person they love most in the world drops dead in the same room? Because they can't say it. They can't say it at all, and they want something that addresses what can't be said.
It's poetry's uselessness that excites me . . . Prose is practical language. Conversation is practical language. Let them handle the usefulness jobs. But of course, poetry has its balms. It makes us feel less lonely by one. It makes us have more room inside ourselves.
Billy Collins
Time is not just money—sorry, Ben Franklin—time is a way of telling us if we are moving at the right pace through the life that has been given us. One of the most basic pleasures of poetry is the way it slows us down. The intentionality of its language gives us pause. Its formal arrangement checks our haste.
Stanley Kunitz
If we want to know what it felt like to be alive at any given moment in the long odyssey of the race, it is to poetry we must turn. The moment is dear to us, precisely because it is so fugitive, and it is somewhat of a paradox that poets should spend a lifetime hunting for the magic that will make the moment stay. Art is the chalice into which we pour the wine of transcendence. What is imagination but a reflection of our yearning to belong to eternity as well as to time.
Robert Fitzgerald
Our lifetimes have seen the opening of abysses before which the mind quails. But it seems to me there are few things everyone can humbly try to hold onto: love and mercy (and humor) in everyday living; the quest for exact truth in language and affairs of the intellect; self-recollection or prayer; and the peace, the composed energy of art.
Photos: Photo of V.V. Raman downloaded from Wikipedia. All other photos were downloaded from the website of the Poet Laureates of the United States.
I confess that I have never really been fond of poetry. I enjoy reading certain poems occasionally but I couldn't sit and read a book of poetry nor would it be something I would turn to for comfort. I am, I'm afraid, a Philistine as far as this particular art form is concerned:)
ReplyDeleteAn excellent post, George — and one that reminded me of the centrality of poetry in my own life. Poetry (and all art) is a gift, isn't it? — a gift bestowed on the poet or artist, who passes on the life-giving fruit to us, also as a gift. A book I'm reading at the moment — 'The Gift: How The Creative Spirit Transforms The World' by Lewis Hyde — is all about this. 'The artist appeals to that part of our being ... which is a gift and not an acquisition — and, therefore, more permanently enduring.' JOSPEH CONRAD. In this increasingly commodified society, the gift of poetry becomes even more precious — indeed, essential.
ReplyDeleteStarting with your own reflection on poetry and what it means to you, you have echoed my own feelings as well here.
ReplyDeleteEach poet's statement gets at that unspeakable way of poetry. But the quote that means the most to me right now is that one by V.V. Raman. it reminds me of the book I have been asked to read for work, as we in the humanities are forced to justify majors such as English. The book is called Not for Profit by Martha Nussbaum. In a world that has gone mad pushing students into education for economic growth, we have to understand what poetry, indeed all the arts, mean to us.
I have probably told you this story before, so forgive me repeating it, but when the Chair of my department lamented the vast changes to the University when the economy tank in 2008, for a couple of days, I was in a stupor of grief. How would we ever move forward in times such as these? But then as I advised students hope filled me, because the words came out of my mouth what I knew to be true: there is no more important time than times of crisis for writers to write, for poets to say what can't be said. How anyone could think that stripping our daily lives of art, music, or poetry, by devaluing and defunding the education of them, is what is needed, is insidious ignorance of the human condition.
But you and I know, that the best things in life are free, though they very much need protection.
So beautiful, George. Thank you.
( Sorry about the typos, which I blame on my unruly Dragon, who doesn't always read my mind very well.)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your honest comments, ROWAN. People turn to different sources for joy, comfort, and inspiration. Poetry is simply one of the important sources for me. I suspect that you might prefer a different kind of poetry—nature, for example. Whatever the case, Rowan, I don't think you are a Philistine. Your own rich postings have convinced me otherwise.
ReplyDeleteFor me, George, poetry is one of the most important things in my life. The fact that a good poet can say in a few words (sometimes even in one word) what I feel deeply and cannot put into words at all is a wonderful thing. I try to write it myself - it gives me great pleasure to do so - but not half so much as reading the great poetry of others.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughtful comments, ROBERT. The "centrality of poetry" to some of our lives—that's exactly what I'm trying to address here. Yes, the arts, including poetry, are gifts and life-giving fruits. Indeed, it is impossible for me to imagine a meaningful life without art. A world without literature, theater, music, dance, painting, and myriad other art forms would be a dead world.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendation of the Lewis Hyde book. I will check it out. I have long been interested in the theme embodied in the book's title, for creativity is the underlying energy of all biological and spiritual evolution.
Thanks for your lovely comments, RUTH. I'm especially glad you liked the V.V. Raman quote. This entire post was inspired by that quote, which I discovered in "Einstein's God," a collection of interviews by Krista Tippett on the relationship of God and science. Some interesting stuff there—I would recommend the book.
ReplyDeleteYour point on the importance or poetry and arts in education is well taken. It's terribly sad when one hears a young graduate say that their education is worthless unless he or she can find a well-paying job. In my view, qualifying for a particular vocation is a secondary purpose of education; it's primary purpose is to enrich our capacity for understanding, appreciating, and enjoying life.
Yes, yes—this is the time for writers to write, poets to say what people feel but cannot say themselves, all of which leads me to deep appreciation for the poetry that you and others publish on your blogs.
Thanks, PAT! Yes, I can tell from your posts through the years that poetry is central to your life, as it is to mine and many others. When we discover words that capture the essence of what we have felt deeply—feelings that may have been difficult for us to express ourselves— we immediately have a great sense of peace and relief.
ReplyDeleteFor me, poetry—good poetry, anyway—is like a brief, bright piercing into the darkness. It reveals, momentarily, the essence of the thing, be it mood or object, place or time. This revelation may not be mine, but it speaks to the same question, the same stirring, the need for reason and something akin to understanding.
ReplyDeletePoetry connects in a way that prose cannot…though occasionally, I encounter a line in a paragraph of fiction or an essay that springs from the page, as alive and true as anything; and invariably, on closer examination, I realize I've simply stumbled upon a hidden jewel—a bit of poetry surrounded by masquerading words.
To me, the worth of poetry lies in what might be seen as a contradiction between the quotes of Ryan and Merwin. Poetry is impractical language that speaks directly of things that can't be said.
This is certainly a post I can relate to, but all your posts are. I read this last night before turning in and now this morning again. I still am having trouble articulating a response, how I feel about poetry. But, I realize I need to do so, and will do so in a post. The more people who trumpet the value of poetry, the better. The world needs poets and poetry. And people such as you, to praise its virtues and encourage people to read it.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully stated, Grizz! "Poetry is impractical language that speaks directly of things that can't be said."
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything you say here. Yes, good poetry always illuminates what previously hid in darkness, and it always reveals the essence of things—their true, unadorned nature. I've also had that experience of discovering great poetry masquerading as prose. Good poetry is a little like beauty—hard to define, but you recognize it when you see it.
Thanks so much for your kind and generous comments, TERESA. I look forward to your post. Yes, yes—let us all trumpet the value of poetry. Losing poetry would be like losing birdsong or sunsets.
ReplyDeleteAwesome post! One to be reread a few times. Rather like a poem, each persons quote needs a bit of time to sink in.
ReplyDelete@Rowan, I find that reading a whole book of poetry is too much. It's like a really great dessert, you want to savor, not eat the entire display! I love poetry, but don't think I could ever sit thru a whole book at one sitting! Each one (or two) needs to be digested before you can truly take in more. IMHO!
Prose is about something, but poetry is about what can't be said.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a good definition and accounts for the depth of emotion that poetry reaches but prose (usually) cannot.
Thanks for your lovely comments, KARIN. I agree with you entirely about not reading a complete book of poetry as one would read a novel. Poetry books are cornucopias, each containing different kinds of fruit. One should choose the poet and the poem on the basis of one's interest at any given moment. There are also some poems that require multiple readings before they timidly release their full meaning and joy.
ReplyDeleteHi, CAIT. Thanks for your comment. Yes, good prose is wonderful, but there are areas of the human heart that are best explored by poetry. As you say, poetry speaks to things that cannot be adequately expressed in prose.
ReplyDeleteWho could forget Elton John playing piano for Eminem. Maybe not on the same page...but so on the same page. We want what your on George!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, HERRINGBONE. I really don't know what I'm on, unless it's a little curiosity about the workings of the human heart. Whatever it is, however, you're most welcome to partake.
ReplyDeleteA compliment to your enthusiasm and support of the world. I like you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kindness, HERRINGBONE. Glad to have you dropping by with your input.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we are in danger of losing poetry by any means but I think there will be less people who turn to it in the future. As long as people can write there will also be some form of poetry. It answers the unanswerable for too many of us.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rubye Jack. Yes, poetry answers the unanswerable for us, and for that reason, it will always be vital to many of our lives.
ReplyDeletePoetry is heart over reason. It's keen observation using words that might appeal to a multitude of senses as well as intellect. Children often love poetry and understand it in a visceral way. I think I have a childlike appreciation for poetry. Thank you for another thoughtful post, George.
ReplyDeleteI am never without a poetry book within easy reach.
ReplyDeleteIt is a part of daily life, I read at least one poem a day. It's not even a big deal, it's as normal for me as drawing breath.
At moments of great emotion, it's poetry which aids and calms my spirit; happy or sad, I need poetry.
Thanks for you lovely comment, BARB. I think you are child at heart in many ways, and that's all to your credit.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, FRIKO. I like your analogy of reading poetry being akin to breathing. Both feed the heart, don't they?
ReplyDelete"...poetry is about what can't be said" W.S. Merwin
ReplyDeleteYes I'm totally agree with that definition. Think in poetry we can put right, succint words to explain the reality. Most of the time with metaphor and nature's reference. It's allowed to take a certain distance with what's happen in the human's life. Georges, I follow you for few weeks and I enjoy your posts and the way you are enthusiastic !
Thanks for your supportive comments, THROUGHIDEAS. It's nice to have you as part of the discussion, and I hope you will make a return visit. I, too, love the W.S. Merwin quote you mention at the outset of your comment.
ReplyDeleteI write professionally but I wish I could be more of a poet.
ReplyDeleteThanks for dropping by and commenting, JENNY. Here's a thought. Why not bring the essence of poetry to your professional writing? Perhaps it's not a binary choice—either professional writing or poetry. Whatever the case, I wish you well.
ReplyDelete