For some reason, admitting out loud that one likes, or even worse, loves poetry, can sometimes be like admitting you chew your toenails or enjoy watch HGTV because you want to, not just because your wife changed the channel. It should not be something a person is ashamed of (Ok, the toenail thing is gross, but that is completely on that person, and as long as he does not ask me to join in, I cannot protest too much.), and more people are into it than want to reveal it in public, but there is usually an odd reaction when a person openly admits to loving poetry. Add to the mix that the person also loves football and lifting weights, and eyebrows seem to rise even more.
Ok, so I am a little melodramatic. People who know me, my wife, my kids, my students, my parents know that I am fond of verse.However, that does not erase the fact that there is a stigma among us common folk, and among those who populate high schools, attached to such an affinity for poetry.
It should not be that way. Poetry is more accessible than most people think. It is diverse in subject matter, it is varied in its depth, and it is nearly endless in its approaches to the human language. I have related this episode before, but I will bring it back up here again. I had a student say she hated poetry. I told her she hated the poetry she had read so far. To say one hates poetry is akin to saying one hates food because one does not like Indian food or to saying one hates music because a person hates Eminem. (That also shows that we should probably have a little sit down, so we can examine where your logic is flawed, whether it be one specific point or just your outlook in general.)
Now, I can guess what some of you with more critical minds are now saying. "If it is unfair to say that I hate poetry because I have not in fact experienced all poetry, is it not just as flawed for Kohls to say he loves poetry when in fact there may be poetry out there that he does in fact hate?" Notice that I did not say I loved ALL poetry. There are some stinkers out there. Some are stinkers because they are horribly written, while others stink just for little old me because their funk is based solely on my personal taste. People may not want to admit it, but the odds are good that in Shakespeare's day, there were poet's who were flat out bad, and what they wrote was shallow and clique. Even more shocking might be the chance that some of the Bard's verse did not find its way into the Folio, and instead was used to light a fire or was employed in the privy. In other words, Shakespeare might have written some stinkers. Dunt-dunt-dahhhhhhh.
I do not know if I have lost most of you by now, and I hope not, but if I have, well, I guess that does not matter because you are not reading this anymore are you? What got me going today on this topic was an email I received. There is a program called "Poetry 180" sponsored by the Library of Congress. It is intended to encourage use of poetry in the classroom, and as a subscriber, I receive an email with a poem for the day each school. Actually, right now, I am receiving a poem for each day the rest of you go to school because our students were finished Wednesday. Just saying. Let's get back to the point. Some days I read the poem, say, "Huh" and move on. Other days, I bookmark the poem, note the poet and the title, and hold on to it later. Some days, I am forced to stop. I have to let the lines roll around my head a little, or crawl inside my mind and find a place to curl up. Those days are special. Those poems are gems that I have the pleasure to dig up and hold up to the light. I try to share those with my friends and colleagues. It is not just Poetry 180 that supplies these nuggets. Kiley Porter shared a link for a spoken word poem on the Upworthy site today. Students have sent me links to pieces they enjoyed. If I was in the LMc this spring, senior who is not in my English might share a title with me while he slaved away at his duties as an aide, and they usually proved to be good.
My point is this: poetry is everywhere. Sure, the lyrics of the songs on the radio or a person's ipod can be poetry. Not always good poetry, but poetry. And to be fair, some of those examples are brilliant pieces of poetry. There is poetry on every topic and emotion, every thought and struggle. Once we step coolly past the thought of "Why would you read poetry?" we begin to see just how amazingly well-stocked the treasure-trove is. It often only takes a minute, sometimes less. Then, one day, you will find yourself stopping to reread a line or a stanza, turning it over between your ears to see what is hidden in its crooks and crannies. At that point, you know you are hooked. If you have not gotten there yet, that is fine. Keep reading. You just haven't found the right poem yet, but it is out there.
Today's "Poetry 180" selection
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Earlier in the week, they sent this piece:
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