Poetry. A simple enough word that seems to strike fear, disgust, or a combination of both whenever a professor utters its cursed name to a classroom full of students.
The reason for this, or so I've heard from friends, is because of the monotonous task of breaking down the complex series of metaphors, similes, or any other language tool that certain poet decided to torture their readers with. Some of the more popular poets that evoke heavy sighs and eye rolls are Shakespeare ("doth" of course), John Milton, Walt Whitman, and others that should remain unmentioned for now.
I used to hate poetry for many reasons, but mainly because I did not understand anything I read. I could tell the poet was saying something profound, heartfelt, or beautiful critiquing the world around them. I was never able to understand how they used their language to do it. This became the forefront of my ambitions just after my senior year of high school: understand how poets take common words which are used every day, and spin them in a way that is in itself a different language.
Poetry has revolutionized itself throughout the ages; however, the most commonly read poetry is still romanticized poetry. This is from the time of Shakespeare or Ben Jonson where the topic of poetry was mainly love or lust, and usually always contained a hint of death. The language in this style of writing is incredibly outdated, which could be the main reason why a lot of kids in my generation, and the generations surrounding mine, are not fans of poetry. Modern day poetry is more about expressing yourself with words in any way you see fit.
For example, I recently wrote a poem about partying. Probably not a topic any poet would ever write about, but I guess I am a model for the new generation. The poem looks like this:
Often, I am standing lonesome in a room,
amply cramped to capacity with others
that is neither lonely nor homely.
Turning ‘round, I see toe-to-toe
immersed in talk, these inhabitants of
an intermittent home.
This chaotic melody of voices dances
unrecognizable on the floor, taking
advantage of an open space between shoes.
Hazy and lazy, floating through the air,
different scents scuffle for the satisfaction
of being inhaled and held, then dispelled
back into the frey. I will sometimes close
my eyes, fleetingly, until the touch
of a hand on my shoulder brings
me back. When the light through
the window turns indistinct, and the
exchanges have exhausted themselves
into a dull roar of embers, this
mecca for communal couples
will crumble. This lonesome room
so full of strangers will once again
house only myself.
I was once against poetry and anything related to it. Then one day I realized words are the most powerful weapon we humans have. It was game over after that, and I have loved poetry ever since. If you find yourself hating poetry, or finding it extremely difficult to understand, try reading or listening to modern day poetry and it just might change your view.
