On the latest edition of the Minefield, Waleed Aly, formidable intellect that he is (no irony intended), made a brief statement about poetry (which you can find at 8’07’’ of the audio at this link).
I was going to write a rebuttal, but instead, here’s a little poem:
Poetry is something we don't do
After Waleed Aly
Poetry is something we don't do.
It's just not part of our repertoire.
People could get through their entire
lives without encountering
it in a meaningful way.
It's not valued.
If we put it in a newspaper –
that used to happen but
would be very strange now —
people would skip and just imagine
what sort of business it would do
in an online newspaper. It has been
part of every civilisation
throughout history and yet
it's an art form we are doing
away with.
It's inherently alienating to
a modern audience. In order
to get someone to engage
with poetry you have to get them
to read or listen to a poem
and that feels like a bridge
too far.
It's an effort, it's not what we do.
I could make you listen to a song,
I could get you to watch a documentary,
I could get you to read a novel, at a pinch
I might get you to read non fiction
and analysis, but a poem?
It's for people on the fringes,
overly artistic in spirit though
perhaps not in talent.
[Snigger from Scott]
Close your eyes and imagine a poet:
what you see has got nothing to do
with the rest of us.
Even painting or sculpture have more
presence, even if it's in caricature.
So what is the point of poetry?
It's an art form we are doing
People skip and just imagine
It feels like an effort
It's for people on the fringes
It feels like a bridge
Me fail? I fly! 