by Margaret Butterfield

Created on: November 04, 2009

Does Society Need Poets?

Without poetry, there is a core element of society missing. Poetry may just be words and rhymes to some, but in its true definition, it is the expression of sentiment that cannot be expressed explicitly through prose. What speaks more to the internal our of these two lines?

The rain flooded my planter. It killed the plants. I am sad.

Heavy tears splatter/the windowsill reeds/but nothing reflects/ the tears of my loss.

One conveys facts, one conveys a deeper sense of feeling through language and structure. One does not need to prefer one to the other, but the difference ought to be noted. Poetry gets under the skin of society and tells directly, and indirectly, what is going on in the world, and in the psyche. It is different from a business proposal, and even a fiction novel.

And its worth saying that poetry is an art form. It takes practice. There are different styles that require careful writing and thought. Believe it or not, there are ways of telling whether someone just slapped words and simple rhymes together.

Society can learn from poetry, just as poetry learns from society. Its a symbiotic relationship that keeps the pulse of our liberal arts community strong, and thus allows other parts of our society in check.

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