by Ian W.

Created on: July 23, 2007   Last Updated: July 23, 2009

It is tempting to answer yes to this question, as it does appear that "bad" poetry can have some value, but I question the validity of that so called value. Those who answer yes to this question will say things like: "there is no bad poetry, only badly written poetry;" and "bad poetry allows us to see what good poetry is;" and "poetry is an expression, and how can expression be bad?" All of these points are valid, at least on the surface, but when put under further scrutiny they fail to hold up.

Take the statement "there is no such thing as bad poetry;" this is a false statement that implies there us no such thing as bad writing, just writing that is done badly. I want to ask what the difference is, but I do not think it matters. What does matter, however, is that poetry can be bad. If the poet has no concept of metaphor, imagery, or rhythm the poem will be bad. Also, the subject matter has a lot to do with the quality of a poem. The subject itself does not have to be noble, take John Donne's "The Flea," for example, but the author's handling of that subject matter has to be more than literal. This brings me to my second point.

Poetry is an avenue for emotional expression, but not all expression is good or valuable. In fact, a lot of beginning poets turn to poetry to express themselves, and they see poetry as an easy way of doing that. However, because they are unfamiliar with poetic conventions they often end up writing pieces that are filled with unchecked emotion, often to the detriment of the poem. Poetry is about passion and expression, there is no doubt, but it is also about subtlety and control. If the poet writes simply to express himself, then he will end up with bad poems, no matter how strong a grasp he has on the mechanics of writing.

"Bad poetry can show us the value of good poetry." This statement is true, at least to the extent that the statement "you cannot have good without evil" is true. That is to say, yes, reading a bad poem might give you better appreciation for "good" poetry, but its value ends there. Aspiring poets should read good poems so they can see how the masters do it. This would be more beneficial to them as it would allow them to see how poetic elements combine to make a "good" poem.

The only value "bad" poetry has is to the writer of the "bad poetry," and it comes in the form of experience. It is a fact that the more you do something, the better you get at it, so the more poems a poet writes, no matter how "bad" or "good" they are, the better he or she will eventually become. This value, however, does not change the fact that "bad" poetry has such little of value to offer that it is essentially "value"-less.

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