I agree - cannot tell about Instagram filters, as I don't know what they are, but everything else I agree with ;)
Some of the accepted forms of writing today are well represented here at Substack, and, luckily, also poetry. But most people outside this scope and similar (there are some organizations and magazines for poets) rarely bump into it.
What seems to be the big hits nowadays are journalistic style articles with a lot of name-dropping (people, places, companies) and personal style essays about something that happens in life. These are great ways of writing, and I'm not against doing that (or reading it), but it can be difficult to hit with other things.
Of course, this is very schematic: after all, there are billions of people in the world, and there is probably an audience for everything; I'm just talking about trends as I see them.
The young ladies on Instagram use the filters to achieve the flawless finish they exude in their photos - perfect, poreless skin and complexions, bigger eyes, plumper lips, and higher cheekbones... I find they often look so perfect in their pictures that it's frightening...
I think another reason many overlook poetry is because it's more challenging to read. You have to take your time to read a poem, can't just skim over it to grasp the overall objective and leave out parts that seem irrelevant because in a poem, every word, every line holds relevance and to even attempt to comprehend it, you have give your full attention to the entire text. Unfortunately, that's not very appealing to many these days.
I do! I hate it that modern society is not given to poetry. My mother memorized a very long poem when she was 15 and recited it every New Year's Eve until she died at 92 years. It was a beautiful tale and you had to wait until the end to grasp the meaning. You can't make meaning like that in the same way with other modalities.
What a nice story! She had this to give, to be proud of. My mother knew many small verses from various poets. Some of them (her favorites) tiny "life-philosophy" verses, but also more deep poetry.
A friend of her, a former colleague, had left the hamster wheel and become a life coach and poet (it was before social media) and had a much deeper meaning in her life than most other people I have met. I have some of her published poetry books, that I inherited from my mother.
Poetry comes in many shapes and sizes, but it does, as you say, give something that we don't get otherwise. We must make room for it!
It seems to me that one of the reasons poetry is mocked is that, through poetry, the writer becomes vulnerable. And vulnerability is a perfect target for self-appointed critics who elevate themselves by criticizing others – only to reveal how miserable they truly are.
That sounds feasible! Vulnerability is always the target to some – just look at those poor old buildings being destroyed by graffiti and stones through the windows.
Like if fragile means permission to break.
Same for people. I remember from my early life how people with disabilities and mental problems were in general mocked. Partly state authorized, in that many mechanisms of the society would either rule these people out or treat them less favourable than others.
This has improved a lot, now with many laws and rules to project and help people in need, but there is still all the time a tendency lurking in the perimeter of society to prioritize the strong and let the weak suffer.
We see this in the very open conflict between left and right in the USA just now, but with the same concept and tendency almost all over the world.
I also come from an arts background, and it’s natural for me to write poetry. I’m also attracted to short essays, and being part of an essay writing group has encouraged me to write more. We’re often writing brief memoir pieces but I like to explore an idea. Sometimes a poem becomes part of the essay, another way to express the ideas.
No, I don't. Even though I published a poetry book in my 20s. Maybe because I don't think I'm good enough? I understand the stereotypes, but I guess it's less criticized for women to do this, though it might still be seen as unproductive in the hustle culture. Poetry is a weird genre for me. It's probably the only genre I blatantly prefer in my native language because I feel there are too many nuances to it that get lost in translation. But it's also, as you say, a very vulnerable experience.
Good enough... that's probably a key issue. We don't see ourselves as good enough, nor the others. What are we up against? What's the comparison? I personally think that everyone is good enough, simply because poetry is a personal expression, and we all have a personality. We may be unable to express one thing, but end up expressing another instead. That's art :)
In any case, good or not, there should be room for it. It's a big world, and poetry isn't on every wallpaper, neither in every textbook. When comparing to other forms of writing, there is probably a lot too much of some of the others, but poetry doesn't pile up the same way.
Well, in any case. It can be difficult to access. And I have a feeling that the techno-focused and super-stressed society has dragged people away from any wish to hear about emotions. It has stolen the empathy that must be naturally resident in us, considering that we are social beings. And without empathy, no attempt to understand others' emotions, hence, no room for poetry.
Seen this way, an increase in the number of poets and the amount of poetry should be a sign of the world getting back to a more healthy condition.
I think I had a different experience because I studied at a school that was very much focused on the arts. I did have poetry in textbooks, and we even did a haiku marathon. But that's an exception, I know. I don't feel like I've lost empathy, but I guess I know what you mean.
Of course, when saying "us" I don't mean you – I talk about the modern world and its hamsters in the hamster wheels. Not sure, really, who they are. But not you. You have empathy and compassion and a kind wish to be there and make others feel good and enjoy life, while sharing your insightful thoughts. That's even better than poetry ;)
That's too kind of you. I'm not sure who they are either, hahaha. I've been lucky enough to find pretty awesome people online. But I know they are out there.
Modern society is too practical for poetry. Romance and beauty are dead (unless we count dating apps and Instagram filters, which I don't 😅)
I agree - cannot tell about Instagram filters, as I don't know what they are, but everything else I agree with ;)
Some of the accepted forms of writing today are well represented here at Substack, and, luckily, also poetry. But most people outside this scope and similar (there are some organizations and magazines for poets) rarely bump into it.
What seems to be the big hits nowadays are journalistic style articles with a lot of name-dropping (people, places, companies) and personal style essays about something that happens in life. These are great ways of writing, and I'm not against doing that (or reading it), but it can be difficult to hit with other things.
Of course, this is very schematic: after all, there are billions of people in the world, and there is probably an audience for everything; I'm just talking about trends as I see them.
The young ladies on Instagram use the filters to achieve the flawless finish they exude in their photos - perfect, poreless skin and complexions, bigger eyes, plumper lips, and higher cheekbones... I find they often look so perfect in their pictures that it's frightening...
I think another reason many overlook poetry is because it's more challenging to read. You have to take your time to read a poem, can't just skim over it to grasp the overall objective and leave out parts that seem irrelevant because in a poem, every word, every line holds relevance and to even attempt to comprehend it, you have give your full attention to the entire text. Unfortunately, that's not very appealing to many these days.
Yes, dating apps! How romantic, especially when your date doesn't look anything like their profile picture! 😅😅
That brings us to the filters again!
😂
I do! I hate it that modern society is not given to poetry. My mother memorized a very long poem when she was 15 and recited it every New Year's Eve until she died at 92 years. It was a beautiful tale and you had to wait until the end to grasp the meaning. You can't make meaning like that in the same way with other modalities.
What a nice story! She had this to give, to be proud of. My mother knew many small verses from various poets. Some of them (her favorites) tiny "life-philosophy" verses, but also more deep poetry.
A friend of her, a former colleague, had left the hamster wheel and become a life coach and poet (it was before social media) and had a much deeper meaning in her life than most other people I have met. I have some of her published poetry books, that I inherited from my mother.
Poetry comes in many shapes and sizes, but it does, as you say, give something that we don't get otherwise. We must make room for it!
It seems to me that one of the reasons poetry is mocked is that, through poetry, the writer becomes vulnerable. And vulnerability is a perfect target for self-appointed critics who elevate themselves by criticizing others – only to reveal how miserable they truly are.
That sounds feasible! Vulnerability is always the target to some – just look at those poor old buildings being destroyed by graffiti and stones through the windows.
Like if fragile means permission to break.
Same for people. I remember from my early life how people with disabilities and mental problems were in general mocked. Partly state authorized, in that many mechanisms of the society would either rule these people out or treat them less favourable than others.
This has improved a lot, now with many laws and rules to project and help people in need, but there is still all the time a tendency lurking in the perimeter of society to prioritize the strong and let the weak suffer.
We see this in the very open conflict between left and right in the USA just now, but with the same concept and tendency almost all over the world.
I agree. Vulnerability is often perceived as permission for mistreatment.
What about this....
I am like a bird
in love with a bird
wishing I could fly:)
That's a good one! :) Maybe such birds like kiwis and ostriches are thinking like that, and people feeling like those.
I also come from an arts background, and it’s natural for me to write poetry. I’m also attracted to short essays, and being part of an essay writing group has encouraged me to write more. We’re often writing brief memoir pieces but I like to explore an idea. Sometimes a poem becomes part of the essay, another way to express the ideas.
Great to hear that it does fit into some part of the world :)
No, I don't. Even though I published a poetry book in my 20s. Maybe because I don't think I'm good enough? I understand the stereotypes, but I guess it's less criticized for women to do this, though it might still be seen as unproductive in the hustle culture. Poetry is a weird genre for me. It's probably the only genre I blatantly prefer in my native language because I feel there are too many nuances to it that get lost in translation. But it's also, as you say, a very vulnerable experience.
Good enough... that's probably a key issue. We don't see ourselves as good enough, nor the others. What are we up against? What's the comparison? I personally think that everyone is good enough, simply because poetry is a personal expression, and we all have a personality. We may be unable to express one thing, but end up expressing another instead. That's art :)
In any case, good or not, there should be room for it. It's a big world, and poetry isn't on every wallpaper, neither in every textbook. When comparing to other forms of writing, there is probably a lot too much of some of the others, but poetry doesn't pile up the same way.
Well, in any case. It can be difficult to access. And I have a feeling that the techno-focused and super-stressed society has dragged people away from any wish to hear about emotions. It has stolen the empathy that must be naturally resident in us, considering that we are social beings. And without empathy, no attempt to understand others' emotions, hence, no room for poetry.
Seen this way, an increase in the number of poets and the amount of poetry should be a sign of the world getting back to a more healthy condition.
I think I had a different experience because I studied at a school that was very much focused on the arts. I did have poetry in textbooks, and we even did a haiku marathon. But that's an exception, I know. I don't feel like I've lost empathy, but I guess I know what you mean.
Of course, when saying "us" I don't mean you – I talk about the modern world and its hamsters in the hamster wheels. Not sure, really, who they are. But not you. You have empathy and compassion and a kind wish to be there and make others feel good and enjoy life, while sharing your insightful thoughts. That's even better than poetry ;)
That's too kind of you. I'm not sure who they are either, hahaha. I've been lucky enough to find pretty awesome people online. But I know they are out there.