Is poetry pretentious or just lost in a consumer’s world?

[Pl****]

9 hours ago, Messedup79 said:

So are you saying my poetry has an angsty ***ager feel to it? I do post on a poetry site and get quite a broad response. I just wonder why people feel such a disconnect to verse these days. To me they are just like songs. Though maybe I an old soul and the *** of my ancestors never faded? Now that could sound pretentious lol. But it’s just me, learning to reconnect with myself... 

As I've mentioned already, I'm not sure I'm capable of appreciating poetry, so I haven't looked at yours and won't critique it. 

I've read that poetry is not as popular as it once was, though I'm not sure how true that is. Like I said, there are still plenty of high school kids that are into it. If I had to guess, it's that good poetry is hard, and people have higher standards. As for myself, poetry is written for a variety of reasons, but most commonly to elicit emotion or exhibit clever wordplay, showing a mastery of various literary buzzwords. I'm not an easy nut to crack emotionally though, and that kind of cleverness doesn't impress me. I originally thought I was the one that didn't get poetry, but after taking a class, it became clear that I understood all the same things the professor did, but she was just really into that stuff and I wasn't. I think she had a mentality that she wanted to find beauty in poetry, and so she did. In other words, I think there's a poetry type. 

Poems like songs? In a way, certainly, but I don't think I'd care about songs if I were just reading the lyrics. I think music theory is far more interesting than poetry, and for the vast majority of my favorite songs, I'd still like them even without the main vocals (in some cases, I might even like them more). 

I wouldn't think too much into it. People like different things, and that's fine. We're on a site specifically for people that are into different things than most. 

[Th****]

@Messedup79  

Love the video, amazingly creative & expressive mixed mediums, and beautiful poetry.

Is poetry pretentious or just lost in a consumer’s world?

Is poetry pretentious, possibly it's true,
The beauty of word that is written just for you.

It is not a commodity to be bought or sold,
It is a free flowing expression of stories untold.

They say limited supply increases the price,
Creative poetics are as free flowing as rice.

It may not be the fit for the Capitalist world.
We write for joy of the lines unfurled.

[Deleted Member]

13 minutes ago, Thebian said:

@Messedup79  

Love the video, amazingly creative & expressive mixed mediums, and beautiful poetry.

Is poetry pretentious or just lost in a consumer’s world?

Is poetry pretentious, possibly it's true,
The beauty of word that is written just for you.

It is not a commodity to be bought or sold,
It is a free flowing expression of stories untold.

They say limited supply increases the price,
Creative poetics are as free flowing as rice.

It may not be the fit for the Capitalist world.
We write for joy of the lines unfurled.

Thank you for taking the time to look and your reflections on the topic, set to verse. I think there is a very valid point, about the purpose of poetry. It is not a commodity. In face I have written a poem about it in the past. Mostly the words are just for me. If someone else relates or feels something. It’s a bonus. But that’s because I’m still working on improving my internal validation systems and self worth.

[Deleted Member]

6 hours ago, Pleasurecalculus said:

As I've mentioned already, I'm not sure I'm capable of appreciating poetry, so I haven't looked at yours and won't critique it. 

I've read that poetry is not as popular as it once was, though I'm not sure how true that is. Like I said, there are still plenty of high school kids that are into it. If I had to guess, it's that good poetry is hard, and people have higher standards. As for myself, poetry is written for a variety of reasons, but most commonly to elicit emotion or exhibit clever wordplay, showing a mastery of various literary buzzwords. I'm not an easy nut to crack emotionally though, and that kind of cleverness doesn't impress me. I originally thought I was the one that didn't get poetry, but after taking a class, it became clear that I understood all the same things the professor did, but she was just really into that stuff and I wasn't. I think she had a mentality that she wanted to find beauty in poetry, and so she did. In other words, I think there's a poetry type. 

Poems like songs? In a way, certainly, but I don't think I'd care about songs if I were just reading the lyrics. I think music theory is far more interesting than poetry, and for the vast majority of my favorite songs, I'd still like them even without the main vocals (in some cases, I might even like them more). 

I wouldn't think too much into it. People like different things, and that's fine. We're on a site specifically for people that are into different things than most. 

Lots of thinking. On one level I think you are right. I think relating to poetic verse is about personal constructs. But I also wonder about social constructs. Like I said in another response, I did not write for years, because I had been made to believe it was silly and indulgent. But it was less about wanting to be a person who wrote, and more about needing to write.

We are all diverse. And I’m sure in ancient times, when verse was inherent in traditions and rituals, there were ancestors of ours, who just thought, it’s doing nothing for me.

I appreciate your reflections.😊

[Th****]

8 minutes ago, Messedup79 said:

Thank you for taking the time to look and your reflections on the topic, set to verse. I think there is a very valid point, about the purpose of poetry. It is not a commodity. In face I have written a poem about it in the past. Mostly the words are just for me. If someone else relates or feels something. It’s a bonus. But that’s because I’m still working on improving my internal validation systems and self worth.

 I am an old git, but you knew that.  My validation I guess comes from just getting it out of my head and onto paper. When I write, whether prose or poetry, it gets the thoughts racing around my head out on the paper/ screen. In that sense it is a form of cleansing for me.

I really must play with images and sound in the way you did though it added multiple layers of emphasis, mood and impact. That lends whole new vistas of creativity to writing.  

[Carnelian2]

17 hours ago, Messedup79 said:

@Bounty thank you for taking the time to reflect on this. It is a developing project for me, primarily to give me a focus as I work on myself and my mental health.

🤣

This just made me think about something. I have a friend, who writes small poems as part of her meditation and personal development as it helps her put whatever floats around in her head down on paper.
Personally, I meditate, use iChing and Tarot cards to get those insights. I know the latter are also used for divination, but I tend to just use it as a snapshot to get the ideas and thoughts I would otherwise not get. It helps me structure what is floating in my head.

If poetry does that for you, then you have my respect. I always respect people that can do things I cannot. I respect a lot of people, needless to say 

[Deleted Member]

11 minutes ago, Carnelian2 said:

This just made me think about something. I have a friend, who writes small poems as part of her meditation and personal development as it helps her put whatever floats around in her head down on paper.
Personally, I meditate, use iChing and Tarot cards to get those insights. I know the latter are also used for divination, but I tend to just use it as a snapshot to get the ideas and thoughts I would otherwise not get. It helps me structure what is floating in my head.

If poetry does that for you, then you have my respect. I always respect people that can do things I cannot. I respect a lot of people, needless to say 

Me too (respect lots of people)... in contrast I have struggled with meditation at times. Except when it is guided. Maybe my head is too busy and the poetry helps it let go? 

[Carnelian2]

1 hour ago, Messedup79 said:

Me too (respect lots of people)... in contrast I have struggled with meditation at times. Except when it is guided. Maybe my head is too busy and the poetry helps it let go? 

The noise in the head goes away with practice .. we all do what works for us .. guided meditations are good as well. I use a combination..

[Deleted Member]

I'm not sure where in the country you are from, but here in the UK spoken word poetry - - arguably the most pretentious of all - is used to drive sales in Ad campaigns for Banks, sports brands, local second hand sales sites, and other things. 

At its core, poetry is a written vignette concepts for which  their dictionary defintion simply doesn't do justice. So to call poetry pretentious in any sense would be like calling love letters, proposals, heartfelt chats, funeral eulogies or any expression of emotion pretentious. 

The "pretentious" aspect of poetry, imo stems simply from poor positioning. 

Robert Frost wrote a poem that goes (and please excuse the lack of punctuation)

 

Some say the world will end in fire, 

Some say in ice. 

From what I've tasted of desire 

I hold with those who favour fire, 

But should it have to perish twice, 

I think I know enough of hate, 

To know that for destruction ice

Is also great and would suffice. 

 

On its own you can neither claim it to be pretentious or not. Its just a poem. But, were his poem to be used in response to the question "what are your thoughts on the current state of the world", even the literati would scoff. 

If however somebody was trying to explain an idea relevant to the themes of the poem or the context in which it is sat, it becomes a poignant tool in expressing an idea through more than stream-of-consciousness style prose. 

 

 

[Deleted Member]

5 hours ago, TabulaRasa said:

I'm not sure where in the country you are from, but here in the UK spoken word poetry - - arguably the most pretentious of all - is used to drive sales in Ad campaigns for Banks, sports brands, local second hand sales sites, and other things. 

At its core, poetry is a written vignette concepts for which  their dictionary defintion simply doesn't do justice. So to call poetry pretentious in any sense would be like calling love letters, proposals, heartfelt chats, funeral eulogies or any expression of emotion pretentious. 

The "pretentious" aspect of poetry, imo stems simply from poor positioning. 

Robert Frost wrote a poem that goes (and please excuse the lack of punctuation)

 

Some say the world will end in fire, 

Some say in ice. 

From what I've tasted of desire 

I hold with those who favour fire, 

But should it have to perish twice, 

I think I know enough of hate, 

To know that for destruction ice

Is also great and would suffice. 

 

On its own you can neither claim it to be pretentious or not. Its just a poem. But, were his poem to be used in response to the question "what are your thoughts on the current state of the world", even the literati would scoff. 

If however somebody was trying to explain an idea relevant to the themes of the poem or the context in which it is sat, it becomes a poignant tool in expressing an idea through more than stream-of-consciousness style prose. 

 

 

Sometimes I quote lines from poems because I think they express something better than I can capture it... so is that pretentious? I guess I think pretentiousness is subjective, and a lot to do with intention and perceived intentions. I did write a poem once called ‘the pretentions of a poet misunderstood’ it was probably my most pretentious poem ever 🤣

[Deleted Member]

you know its funny sometimes when i write reply's it sounds rhythmic poetry not that i mean it just comes out that way 

[Deleted Member]

2 hours ago, magical-soul said:

you know its funny sometimes when i write reply's it sounds rhythmic poetry not that i mean it just comes out that way 

I can relate to that ☺️

[Deleted Member]

Poetry is prob best for subs as there are too many rules 😈

i grew up with Raimbeau, beaudaire, Prevert, Hugo.... 

I can’t write very well but I do appreciate other writing if not too vanilla of course. I like the darker ones who open their soul with hacksaw 

[Deleted Member]

Absolutely, make as much mess as possible with a hacksaw