| In the writing site where I belong, there is a SLAM | | | | is it because poetry is probably the only art form that |
| underway. It is not the kind of oral SLAM that goes on | | | | knows no gender bias?All through the centuries, poets |
| in the coffee houses, but it is a friendly online poetry | | | | have spoken to and changed perception of the |
| competition that is considered a huge event by our | | | | masses, be it with a phrase, a figure of speech, or a |
| members. Poetry is a big craze in our site, and | | | | line or two. Who can forget William Cowper's "God |
| although the site is a general writing site, almost every | | | | moves in a mysterious way," or Emerson's "All |
| member has tried his hand in poetry.Most anyone | | | | mankind love a lover," or Whitman's "Freedom--to walk |
| interested in reading or writing a poem has to be | | | | free and own no superior," or Emily Dickinson's "A |
| grateful to the internet for making poetry a popular art | | | | wounded deer leaps the highest," even if we don't |
| form and giving the poets a position, a face, and an | | | | quite remember who said it?Poetry's earliest start is as |
| outlet for exhibiting their work. Somehow, our culture | | | | old as mankind, for poetry used to be oral and the |
| had forgotten about poetry or denigrated it to the | | | | greatest poets of any tribe or clan were held in high |
| lowest level of the language arts caste, and most | | | | esteem. Today, in some ways, poetry is returning to its |
| poets have lived under the shadow of being a sloth | | | | roots at festivals, coffee houses, slams, open-mikes, |
| and not getting a "real" job.Maybe this was because | | | | and hip-hop, rap, and youth events. Still, this is not |
| the poets told too much of the hurtful truths no one | | | | enough to sate the hunger of the masses for |
| wanted to acknowledge, or may be because, as a | | | | poetry.At least, there is one venue where the Google |
| culture, we were so spoiled with our material riches | | | | searches affirm poetry's popularity; the internet has |
| that we paid less attention to the intelligence of the | | | | provided an outlet for the poem and for the |
| soul.This scornful attitude against poetry exhibits itself | | | | performance of the individual, whether a true poet or |
| very clearly in the news media. Without naming titles, if | | | | an enthusiast.In an era, when humanistic thought is |
| we just think of major newspapers in our major cities, | | | | breaking through political borders, more attention to |
| we find that most of them devote pages and sections | | | | poetry is needed from the media so the world can be |
| to books written by VIPs and bimbos, theater arts, the | | | | changed from the depths of its soul and enslaved |
| music world, style, food, travel, real estate, etc. I have | | | | minds can be liberated. If a new definition for interaction |
| never seen any such newspaper to allocate a section, | | | | of the humans on this earth is in order, poetry has to |
| or even a page to poetry. Why is that, I wonder?Isn't | | | | become a part of that definition.Joy Cagil is an author |
| poetry considered news from the core of homo | | | | on which is a site for Poetry. Her education is in foreign |
| sapien matters and our collective consciousness in the | | | | languages and linguistics. She has also trained in |
| most succinct form? Or is it because VIPs, emperors, | | | | psychology, humanities, mental health, women's issues, |
| politicians, etc. are afraid poetry will change people | | | | and visual arts. |
| from the inside and they will not be as vulnerable? Or | | | | |