Why Does Poetry Matter?
When did you last read–or write–a poem, and why?
Why does poetry matter?
In a fast-paced world filled with technology, social media, social events, school, festivals, Netflix, and endless entertainment options, literature sometimes seems to take a backseat to more in-your-face options.
Tracy K. Smith, America’s Poet Laureate, might conditionally agree because she hopes to change that, which we can see in this particularly relevant statement from the New York Times:
“The meditative state of mind a poem induces, she believes, can be a ‘rehumanizing force,’ an antidote to the din of daily life, in which our phones continuously buzz with news alerts perfectly algorithmed to reinforce our biases.”
— Tracy K. Smith
I found this idea particularly poignant in connection with why and how I think we experience poetry in our everyday lives.
How we think and feel about poetry changes based on our latest encounters with it.
You may not feel the same way about poetry and technology today as you did last year or next month.
Today, I consider myself an aspiring professor of writing and an entrepreneur that uses technology to craft influential writing.
