What is wrong with Americaln attitudes to Modern Poetry. Nobody buys Modern Poetry? Why?? What is wrong?

Question

That there is poetry is the only
evidence that man truly exists

The Latin American poet quoted above was wise beyond his years. He had the luxury of participating in a culture that still prized the power of the written word as incantation. A machine can be programmed to make everything a man can make - airplanes, pictures, prose, music - but only one craft still requires exclusively the active participation of a human: poetry. Only a human can create and judge great poetry. Yet no poet currently living can make a living from his labor. This is because modern poetry has been written as prose and the public can not name a poet now living. The public does not buy poetry books. They do not expect to be pleased when they see a book of modern poetry in the shops. And they are right.

The poetry of the Greatest Living Poets Project sets out with a new direction. We never publish a poem unless it contains at least one line that will live forever in the language. greatestlivingpoets.com

Answer 1

if you are serious about improving your poetry there used to be a good children's site at sparknotes.

Answer 2

First of all, this is an advertisement for the Greatest Living Poets Project - which, by Yahoo isn't allowed in the Yahoo answers. Also, this is miscategorized. There are better locations for this blatant rant.

But to answer your question: Poetry isn't what it use to be. More and more modern poets are publishing 'shock' value poems. A poem that is more likely to provoke a shock from the reader, rather than cause them to take a minute to think about the words and the imagry created by the poem. Very few poets in history actually made an entire living by writing just poems and lived well to tell about it. A book of poems isn't a novel or a series (well, there are some poetic series).

Answer 3

Because poetry is a dying art form. I mean, why would someone want to read poetry when they can turn on the radio and listen to poetry put to music like Jim Morrison with The Doors or Eminem or whoever?

I'm not saying that Jim Morrison or Jay-Z is better than Edgar Allen Poe or Shakespeare. Because they probably aren't. But it's just more convienent to listen to them than it is to read a book of poetry.

Answer 4

Aren't you in the wrong forum ? ? ????

Or am I.