A Past Purpose for Poetry

Probably once its most important purpose.

Photo by Zagranyasha on Unsplash

I wrote yesterday that poetry has been pretty much lost in the general population as having any value or purpose.

Musicians know otherwise.

Poetry works to fit lines of speech into songs. It helps them become more memorable.

But still, this is a minor, specialized reason for rhymes and meter.

What I believe has been lost in general is the use of poetry in conversation and letter writing.

The reason for this, sadly, is the interruption of human connections when types of technology step in — and in my opinion — often interfere.

Is technology a bad thing?

Sometimes I think it is. When it enables people to hide from others they should be closest to, for example.

People used to write letters and insert poetry. It might be popular poems of the day or their own verses.

Go back to the early twentieth century and earlier and some of the most famous and popular figures were poets.

They could pack a lot of meaning into a few lines that then could springboards for interesting conversations.

Reciting poetry was a form of parlor entertainment.

I remember many men my grandfather’s age who would recite Robert W. Service poems like The Cremation of Sam McGee without a second thought, then continue on from there for hours.

Here’s the first stanza of the poem I mentioned. It works well at night when sitting around a campfire.

There are strange things done in the midnight sun

      By the men who moil for gold;

The Arctic trails have their secret tales

      That would make your blood run cold;

The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,

      But the queerest they ever did see

Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge

      I cremated Sam McGee.

Yes Moil is a word.

Now I have just used technology to encourage us to stop and enjoy reading and conversation more.

If we can do this — use technology to enhance our connections with one another — I believe this might be reasonable proof we can adequately handle technology.

Postscript

Technology continues to grow in culture to the point some people want to give it human rights.

They call it “Artificial Intelligence,” but this is a poor description.

It is actually an insertion of lines of someone else’s computer code into our conversations and lives in general.

Is it dangerous?

Very much so — if we voluntarily shut down our own intelligence and critical thinking skills. The only people who want Chat GPT to write their papers are those who don’t want to think for themselves. This is a form of self-imposed slavery.

If you are reading this, I’m not particularly worried about you.

It means we need to read, recall, or reread books like 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and Brave New World — all required reading when I was in High School.

Allow them and other great literature into your thinking life.

Finally, the next time you read the printed running script on the TV show you are watching, note how often it gets the conversation wrong, then ask yourself if want this “intelligence” driving your car, landing your plane, or implanted in your brain?