Why some, not all?

There is a certain stigma attached to poetry; that it is pretentious, "artsy", and often associated with scholars, or high-society.

The typical cliche of the beggar-clad poet, fretting about in high-priced coffee shoppes and drinking beverages with far too many adjectives. Using overly ambitious phrases and pondering his most recent read, he sits particularly casual, absorbed, and for the most part, unapproachable.

For many people who are not inclined to poetry, it is likely that they assume this picture in their minds of the typical 'poet' who is far too impressed with himself, dark and somewhat moody, and therefore consumes his days with complicated problems to which the resolution to some, may seem silly.

All that pondering, all that work, for what? It is possible that some people are just not aware of the benefits of poetry.

And it is this person, the coffee-shop-tweed-wearing, dark lord of the Thesaurus scholar, that people who are "turned-off" by poetry, imagine in their minds. It is somewhat ignorant to paint such a picture, but it is an honest and perhaps accurate assumption of dipicting the image that poetry and poetics in general instill in people.

Poetry turns many people off for a few reasons: Poetry is often difficult and complex to read and interpret. Reading poetry can be a tedious task, one which some would find intimidating, and therefore seen as a 'turn-off'. As poetry is often intricate and technical; usually written of an intellegent nature, it can become problematic and difficult to comphrehend. It is here that some people might find they are discouraged or affraid to approach the material for fear they might not understand what they read.

And no one appreciates a feeling of inferiority, especially if they have the choice to avoid the situation altogether.

As current "pop-culture" rules the airwaves, dominates the media, and consumes the lives of many people from primetime to bedtime, it is ever-more evident that material such as poetry, when approached, would be regarded as much more time consuming and irritating than would be considered 'time well spent'.

With the idea of drive-thru (everything), the concept of saving time and energy where possible, creates an inherent characteristic in the way many of us live our lives...that it is much easier to be given information than to seek or find information or material for ourselves. Much less analyze the material for leisure purposes only.

In this way I propose that many people disregard poetry as something too involved; they do not want to commit themselves to partaking in this 'task', to finding understanding and meaning within the context, that it would be much simpler, much more enjoyable to read a narrative, fiction novel, romance novel...to be told a story, without having to learn the 'tools of the trade' beforehand.

Poetry is itself, it's own language. It takes time and sometimes effort, to disypher the context, to gain insight to the poem or story. This is time many people do not have or care to spend on something that can often be seen as a more of burden than an asset.

But there exists another side to the coin, one which with little investment, opens us up to another world of langauge and literature, of concepts in love and hate, in war and in life, this endearing culture of communication in the form of poetry.

It is important to consider too, that poetry and poetry literature is not that readily available. How often, outside of the 'academic world', are we suggest a book or referred to a specific poem? Not often. And this lack of consistency or lack of resource creates a barrier between the material and its audience, because poetry when it surfaces, or when we decide to endeavour, or for whatever purpose it is accessed, would then be seen as more foreign and unapproachable than before.

The media, for many of us, has conditioned us to 'chill out' afterwork or afterschool, which is interpreted as "turning your brain off" by sitting in front of the computer or television and "baking"...this way, you are not required to think, it is already done for you.


Poetry challenges you to think.

And for those who enjoy this artform are willingly challenged. They are passionate and excited and consume themselves with poetry and poetics. And for those that would rather pass on that challenge, are either unaware of the fortunes that exist within the medium, or are blatently uninterested in the commitment.

Either way, poetry takes time. It depends on the level of interest in the audience, in the reader, that determines the quality of the read, how much is taken away from a poem and how much was received.

Poetry may not be for everyone, but it deserves a taste before it is cast away. Once the benefits are revealed, it is possible to find answers to questions within yourself, and within life, that you may not have considered before; your sensations heightened as you experience the sound of adventure, passion and desire, and aspects of life, that you never imagined existed before.