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Monthly Column by Charity Gingerich

As both a reader and writer of poetry, I have recently been interested in exploring -- through conversations with poets, avid readers of literature (and not so avid readers), the “gap” between contemporary poetry (specifically) and its audience. Along with these conversations, I was delighted to come across the results of Poetry in America (made available by the Poetry Foundation), which is being trumpeted as both a “first scientific study of poetry in America” and an “unprecedented study evaluating American attitudes toward poetry.” Among its extensive findings is the fact that “the vast majority (90 percent) of American readers highly value poetry and believe it enriches the lives of those who read it.” Judging from the fact that this particular finding is included in the summary’s headline, it was as much of a surprise to the researchers as it was to me. So much so that I might have assumed immediately that my quest and this particular column are unnecessary. Unfortunately, however, in my relatively short experience, the majority of people I meet are still A) afraid of poetry (especially contemporary poetry) or B) think poets are weird and out of touch with reality. Thus my goal to find clues that create a gap between poets and their audience remains unchanged. Toward that end, I am including excerpts from conversations I have had in my own community of writers/readers, which I hope will prove interesting, if not illuminating.

The necessary chronological delineation of contemporary poetry from modern poetry marks works since 1945 as belonging to the former category. More practically, it might help to think of contemporary poetry as poetry of the now; we are referring–-in great part--to poets that are literally our contemporaries, (the word “contemporary,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary meaning “belonging to the same time, age, or period; living, existing, or occurring together in time), so that poets, if deceased, have not been so for long. As for form, contemporary poets/poetry is most often associated with free-verse poetry, and poetry that lacks/is not restricted to a definite form, or at least is not known by a form as is, say, Shakespeare or Lord Alfred Tennyson’s work.

It is always fun to read what nationally acclaimed poets/critics have to say about the state of the craft, but I believe it is of equal importance to tap into what is being said at the community level. If poetry ceases to thrive at this level, it will become more and more isolated and inbred within academic circles, losing much of its vitality. My interviewees were all men and women who are somehow involved in the local academic community, and passionate about some aspect of culture and the arts; more individual information follows below.

The Questions:

I chose to pose both general and specific questions in as simple and straightforward a way as possible, so as not to give the impression of trying to “frame” the kinds of responses I wanted from them; I wanted to give my interviewees as much freedom as possible (without straying from the subject) to express their opinions:

1A). How do you feel about poetry in general?

1B). Do you read it or write it, or both?

2A). How do you feel about contemporary poetry?

2B). Any favorite authors or any hated authors? Why/why not?

The following is a (rather rough, only because they offered much more than I was able to include here) transcript of the responses I received from each of my interviewees:

Jason: 31, 4-year college education, reads widely, enjoys writing sci-fi and other kids of fiction:

1A): Usually doesn’t believe he understands poetry because it is too abstract and lacks a narrative flow; feels that it [risks] becoming too vague in trying to be universal.

1B). Writes ghazals, a very specific verse form: (http://www.answers.com/topic/ghazal).

2A: Likes twentieth, twenty-first century poetry, contemporary poetry most because [he] feels it’s more relevant to what is happening in the world. However, he does feel as if contemporary poets are pretentious, and that this is communicated to laypeople, fostering alienation from poetry in general.

2B): Likes some poetry in general, Langston Hughes specifically, and poetry through song lyrics. (This is also part of an ongoing conversation in poetry: are song lyrics poetry? Are musicians poets? Is it easier to turn poems to music than songs to poems?)

Robert, 35, 4-year college education, teaches English composition, mostly enjoys writing fiction and screen plays:

1A: Likes modern poetry

1B: (Has tried his hand at it), but does not like to write it because he feels his work is arbitrary and fake.

2A: Likes contemporary poetry [especially] because there is less form/rhyme; for this reason he finds it more fascinating because he feels he cannot write formless poetry. One of Robert’s most interesting comments was that “Poets can be taught forms, [but] modern poets write stuff no one can be ‘taught.’”

2B: Likes Raymond Carver’s work

Matt, 25, 4-year college education, enjoys reading and writing both fiction and poetry, and likes to try and set his poems to music:

1A: Enjoys poetry because it is an exercise in creating and solving puzzles.

1B: So yes, does both read and write poetry. Is very passionate about the idea that you can’t be serious about the one (writing) if you aren’t serious about the other (reading); “you can’t write well if you don’t read/tap into the continuing force [conversation] of poetry.”

2A: Likes/dislikes what contemporary poets do at the same time. On the one hand, they expand the form(s) [of what we do with poetry], but contemporary poetry is not as “alive” as it should be. Matt believes the responsibility of this lies with the poet; “laypeople feel it’s [contemporary poetry] pretentious, and it is. What we need is a grassroots movement: people speaking poetry on the streets.”

2B: Favorite authors include Daniel Chiasson, William Butler Yeats and Richard Brautigan.

Greg, between 55-60, 4-year college education, retired news reporter, teaches English composition, enjoys keeping abreast of the cultural world:

1A: Likes poetry in general; likes it best in song lyrics (so obviously believes that song lyrics are poetry!)

1B: Reads but does not write poetry

2A: Doesn’t ‘detest’ contemporary poetry; feels he ‘gets it’ for the most part, or at least knows where it’s going.

2B: No particularly favorite authors

Angie, 35, holds a master’s degree, is an avid reader of both poetry and fiction, a prolific fiction writer, writes some poetry:

1A: Poetry is potentially liberating (you can be more fragmented with its form, and express yourself with fewer rules – as apposed to writing an Elizabethan sonnet!) She is not ‘uptight’ about form – believes you should just tell the story, because that is what happens when you write a poem – you tell a story, even if it’s very short.

1B: Reads and writes poetry (though is more comfortable with writing fiction).

2A: Likes contemporary poetry, and, on the subject of form once more, believes that while contemporary poets are not as concerned about it, they still see writing in some forms as a ‘rite of passage.’ Angie believes that the choice of most contemporary poets to not write in a certain form does not reflect their inability to do so; after all, she says, “you’ve got to know where the comma goes before you can take it out.”

2B: Favorite authors include Joy Harjo, Jane Kenyon, Li Young Lee, and Michael S. Harper. The only poet (readily springing to mind) whose work did not “work” for Angie was Rita Dove’s.

Wrap-up: So what?

I believe that my interviewees' words speak clearly enough on their own. I would only like to point out that, independent of my questions, each interviewee addressed issues such as form, attitude and what poetry is and does in his/her answers. This is interesting in light of my earlier comments on the gap between the poet and his/her audience, because it points to the fact that these issues are not conclusive and static; contrarily, for those who influence and are influenced by poetry, it is vital to keep a high level of self-awareness of what poetry is and is meant to be, in order to craft it well and appreciate it to the full. For the poet, this means a continual self-questioning about what is being said and to whom it is being said. For the reader, both real and potential, self-awareness means finding that “voice” that helps you interpret your own world and lets you peek into the worlds of others.

Something to Keep in Mind:

Any movement still in the making is difficult to define. Twenty or more years from now, it will be easier to look back on the poetry of today and see its trends, accomplishments, and faults. In the meantime, I encourage you to learn more about the poets of today, whether local, national or international. As you do this, keep in mind that because “outstanding contemporary poets form a kind of international community along the frontiers of the developed world, using their own cultural traditions to reinterpret the human condition […] the particular challenge of reading contemporary literature is to be ready for a struggle not just of two orders – impossibly old and appallingly new—but of styles and cosmic visions in which the ancient dreams of the human race may return to assist the arrival of new and unconventional forms.”¹

¹Cowan, Bainard. “Poetry.” Invitation to the Classics: A Guide to Books You’ve Always Wanted to Read. Eds. Louise Cowan and Os Guinness. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1998.

Copyright © 2007 by Charity Gingerich.

About the Author: Charity graduated from Kent State University with a BA in English, as well as minors in writing and history in 2006. This fall (2008) she will be entering the MFA in Creative Writing program at West Virginia University where she will be specializing in poetry. Charity always welcomes any questions/suggestions about this column. Click Here to send her an email.