Poetry Isn't Dumb

January 8, 2024

Poetry Isn't Dumb

A Defense of the Literature that Shapes our Society

Introduction

There are plenty of students that sit in English class and resent their respective poetry unit at Little Miami High School. And, although poetry tends to make a bad impression on students during their formative years at high school, it was vital to the societies of the past, it is vital to the societies of the present, and it will be vital to the societies of the future.

What Do “Dumb” and “Poetry” Mean?

When approaching an argument such as this it’s important to define important terms. So, when saying “dumb,” I am referring to the following Webster’s Dictionary definition: “showing a lack of intelligence.” In addition, I am also referring to a certain lack of value that is assigned to ‘dumb’ concepts. When saying “poetry,” I am referring to the following Webster’s Dictionary definition: “writing that formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience in language chosen and arranged to create a specific emotional response through meaning, sound, and rhythm.”

Ascribing Value to Poetry

Value is assigned to things in this world based on a few standards: rarity, demand, assigned value, and difficulty in producing. The three standards to focus on when recognizing that poetry is valuable are demand, assigned value, and difficulty in producing. First, poetry is in high demand for readers in the United States. In the 2022 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts by the National Endowment for the Arts, researchers found that 9.2% of the adult population—22.4 million people—read poetry within the year. This survey holds a resounding message: poetry is read by millions and it is here to stay. Next, there is a certain assigned value to poetry introduced via major organizations and public school systems. For the state of Ohio, it is a required learning standard that poetry be taught and understood at certain levels. Poetry analysis helps students expand their reasoning skills, their creativity, their understanding of modern and historical literature, and their writing skills. The Poetry Coalition, composed of around thirty non-profit organizations, works to expand readership and understanding of poetry and honor significant pieces that have shaped our culture. The Smithsonian, a global organization and the world's largest museum and research complex, has an entire collection celebrating poetry and famous poets. Finally, 40 of 122 Nobel Literature Prizes, granted by the globally respected Nobel Prize Organization, have gone to poets, honoring their works. These statistics and organization reflect a large assigned value to poets and their work. Historically, poetry has shaped the English language, influenced social and political issues, and heavily inspired works of other literary genres. Lastly, good poetry can be extremely difficult to compose. When focusing on evoking emotions, confusing syntax and vocabulary is often a necessary inclusion. Further, when conforming to certain styles of poetry, writing to a specific rhyming pattern, meter, and syllabic structure proves extremely daunting to those aspiring to be poets. Poetry, in its extremely complex composition, is consumed often by Americans, taught in schools, and globally recognized as a significant art and literary form.

Proving Poetry’s Inherent Intelligence

Many people assign simplicity to poetry. However, there are two characteristics to poetry that set it apart from most other forms of literature. One, poetry reaches an audience’s emotions in an extremely intense and effective manner. Within either simple or complex language, short or long lines, and sparsely or heavily punctuated stanzas, lies a power to catalyze emotional reactions that isn’t quite found in other types of literature. Even when that same power arises in other literary works, it’s described as “poetic,” a nod to the unique attribute of poetry that targets humans’ emotional sides. Two, certain poetry structures are astoundingly difficult to compose while retaining the same aforementioned emotional component. For example, common poetic forms include haiku, free verse, sonnet, acrostic, villanelle, limerick, ode, elegy, and ballad. Focusing on the villanelle, one of the most complex forms of poetry, is vital to understanding the genius behind poetic composition. The poem is made of five tercets (3-line stanzas) and one quatrain (4-line stanza). The first line of the first tercet must be repeated as the last line of tercets 2 and 4 and as the third line of the quatrain. The third line of the first tercet will be repeated as the final line of tercets 3 and 5 and as the last line of the quatrain. In each quatrain, the first and third lines must rhyme (represented by ‘A’), while the middle line must rhyme with all other middle lines (represented by ‘B’). The tercets follow an ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA rhyme scheme. The final quatrain must follow an ABAA rhyme scheme. That all sounds like a complex and unappealing way to express emotions and ideas. However, when written correctly and intelligently, beautiful poetry may follow. Take “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,” by Dylan Thomas, for example:

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“Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

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Though wise men at their end know dark is right,

Because their words had forked no lightning they

Do not go gentle into that good night.

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Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright

Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

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Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,

And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,

Do not go gentle into that good night.

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Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

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And you, my father, there on the sad height,

Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

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A perfect villanelle. A perfect poem. The above poem is a perfect execution of the villanelle form, creating emotional appeal to readers and ultimately serving as one of the best examples of the complexity of poetry and the intelligence behind its composition.

Conclusion

Poetry has proven to be an integral piece of our history, and now proves to be important to our lives today. Behind what seems to be a simple appearance, poems are complex, effective, and a valuable way to express emotions, convey ideas, and spread infinite messages to innumerable people. Because of this, poetry is not dumb.