Is Poetry Only Academic?
“On our earth, before writing was invented, before the printing press was invented, poetry flourished. That is why we know that poetry is like bread; it should be shared by all, by scholars and by peasants, by all our vast, incredible, extraordinary family of humanity.” This is a quote by the poet Pablo Neruda. I have always felt that the purpose of poetry is not academic. Poetry should be for the common masses.
One can try to learn poetry inside the classroom, but the origin of poetry is subjective. Poets tend to reflect the world they see and understand. The elites might use reason and logic, but poetry springs from day-to-day living. Apart from mere tools and literary devices, poetry should delight the masses. The technicality of the poems should go hand in hand with the social depiction. No theory or academic lens should curtail the freedom of poetry.
We have the insanity of Edgar Allan Poe, who became a part of our study. Since poetry is subjective, it should not be judged only academically. Don’t write poetry for academic purposes, but follow the diversity of your thoughts.
Like English grammar was invented after the language, poetry should also provide us with new and free thoughts. Poets don’t want to preach, and they should experiment with how far they can go with their mental and emotional horizons.
Whenever I feel asked to write a certain kind of poetry, I want to revolt. I don’t want anyone to dictate to me how I should write my poems. My only reason is that poetry is my fresh subjectivity. For instance, I might not have control over the reality of the outer world, but I have my subjective reaction to it. “Poetry is a personal space where the entire world fits.” This is my understanding of poetry. I want to sharpen the craft of my art, but I don’t want to miss my subjectivity while writing a poem.
There is one understanding of poetry in the modern world: turning grief into poetry. This idea is enough to cultivate a healing attitude in people. The modern world is devastated by warfare and catastrophes. We must accept the world and try to make it a better place. Self-expression requires more patience. Poetry is an arrangement of thoughts in the best order of words. Poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge said, “Prose is words in the best order, whereas poetry is the best words in the best order.”
If poetry were to be only written for academia, it would not be able to bring about a revolution or educate the common masses. Throwing out the wrong government and protesting for new causes are all challenging. Poetry must also challenge the consciousness. Poetry fills the absence of ideas, and it allows us to think. It will be a challenge to academia if poetry has to abide by all the rigorous theories.
I am not saying that poetry should not be taught in academia. All I am saying is that the purpose for which poetry is written should not be academic and should be more diverse. I taught the metaphysical poem “To His Mistress Going to Bed” by John Donne in my class today. The whole idea of the poem is that the speaker wants to go to bed and have sex with his mistress. This poem was considered pornographic when it was written in Elizabethan England. This poem is different from the Blazon poems, where the bodies of women are praised. The poem talks about female sexuality upfront. This is a sort of revolution. Poetry places obscene matter and creates reasoning so apparent that it is no longer an obscene matter.
There is a pragmatic aspect to poetry. Reasoning through poetry makes one more creative and generates a feeling of empathy. Education should incorporate pragmatism, and poetry should be taught more, but it will remain diverse and not only teach morality to the readers. How far a feeling can go and how justifiable it is can be learned from poetry. Thanks to the freedom with which poetry has been disseminated.
There is also the
idea of an outlaw poet. Poetry is a raw and bold force. It comes from varied
aspects of our lives.
About the poet
Sushant Thapa works as a faculty member of English at the bachelor's and Master's levels in Biratnagar, Nepal. He holds an M.A. in English from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. He also serves as an assistant editor of Himalaya Diary, an online media outlet. Sushant's fourth and latest book is published by World Inkers Printing and Publishing in New York, USA, and Dakar, Senegal, Africa.
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