January 19, 2005
The Essence of Modern Poetry
I just overheard an amazing exchange between a few of the future leaders of American I live with. The three of them had been reading modern poetry aloud, and while two of them were obviously enthralled, or at least intrigued, the third didn't quite get it.
"But why don't they rhyme? Didn't poems used to rhyme?"
"They don't rhyme because they're not rappers."
Oh wow. That's funny, if a bit sad. So indicative of the current state of an average (or above average, being college students) American's understanding of the noble art. You should have mentioned the distinction between verse and poetry and pointed out that though the two once almost always coincided, the Modernists broke from that tradition. I think we'll see a resurgence in "formal" verse that will make free verse just another verse form among many rather than the default mode. Not necessarily soon, but eventually. After all, free verse is a ridiculously recent invention.
Well, I was more pleased by the witty innocence of the response than I was perturbed by the initial question - I just sort of take it for granted that the average undergrad won't 'get' modern poetry.
Which I guess in itself is pretty indicative.