{"id":427,"date":"2014-07-29T18:31:31","date_gmt":"2014-07-29T18:31:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/?p=427"},"modified":"2014-08-29T18:33:38","modified_gmt":"2014-08-29T18:33:38","slug":"does-poetry-matter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/does-poetry-matter\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Poetry Matter?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In an age of instant communication, where image and music is king, the question is often asked, does poetry matter? Judging by the explosion of poetry on social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter, it matter now more than ever.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Poetry,
Poetry, it is asked, does it matter in this digital age? I think it does…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Poetry traditionally was a folk art, how we passed on our lore from one generation to the next. The “Flyting” (1) of the Ulster Scots, the bardic verse of the Gaelic Irish, to the sagas of the Icelandic and Norse peoples, and the Anglo Saxon epics, followed a long line that goes all the way back to the Chinese and Babylonians.<\/p>\n

While poets once upon a time here in my native Ireland were a revered class all of their own, poetry since Elizabethan times has had a double identity, that of something to be ashamed of due to the oppression of Irish culture, and something to be spoken of lowly and revered for the same reason.<\/p>\n

Then, in the 19th century, among the populace, it fell right out of fashion, in the creation, but revered in the profession, as in folk loved to read others poetry, but failed to write their own as much.<\/p>\n

Then the internet happened. Initially there were dedicated Writers Portals, which became good templates for actual social networks, WritersCafe.org<\/a> being a prime example that I’m sure Facebook would have noted. The first one I started on was the now defunct Swedish based Writerstoyou.com<\/a>, it actually took me a while to get onto Facebook for poetry!<\/p>\n

But when I did, I saw legions of folk all over the world, typing their thoughts away, networking,organising events at a grassroots level, which continues today and will for the future.<\/p>\n

Video poetry\u00a0 is also very active, an activity which would not be so vivid if poetry did not matter, with YouTube<\/a> and Vimeo being prime channels.<\/p>\n

So, if interest and participation count as a measure, it matters quite a lot indeed!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

(1) Flyting<\/strong> – a practice of one person making a verse, to be responded to or elaborated on by another at the spur of the moment. Often done in the Standard Habbie format, it was practices by and brought to America by the Scots of Ulster, where some claim it had influence on the development of rap, as it is similar to the rap slams.<\/address>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In an age of instant communication, where image and music is king, the question is often asked, does poetry matter? Judging by the explosion of poetry on social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter, it matter now more than ever. Poetry traditionally was a folk art, how we passed …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[194,3],"tags":[655,656,658,657,5],"class_list":["post-427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","category-writing","tag-debate","tag-does-poetry-matter","tag-opinion","tag-writing-2","tag-writing-and-ethics","column","twocol"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-6T","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":472,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/clouds-write-poetry-svetlana-marisova-tribute\/","url_meta":{"origin":427,"position":0},"title":"Clouds Write Poetry – Svetlana Marisova Tribute","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"6th September 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"The clouds themselves, arranged by the wind Write poems exquisite in the sky In an alphabet to man unknown Read by angels fluent that fly Fanning the winds that write the words That tell tales unknown to man And those passed that others call dead... Able to read these poems,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Obituaries"","block_context":{"text":"Obituaries","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/obituaries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Clouds-300x84.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Clouds-300x84.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Clouds-300x84.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Clouds-300x84.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":182,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/history-of-poetry-in-fermoy-gene-barry-and-the-fermoy-international-poetry-festival\/","url_meta":{"origin":427,"position":1},"title":"History of Poetry in Fermoy – Gene Barry and the Fermoy International Poetry Festival","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"10th July 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Two years in the running, and following on from many years of voluntary work in the arts, editing reviews, etc, this is Gene Barry's account of the effort he has put into the making of an arts scene in the town of Fermoy, which has been hijacked by others who\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Fermoy poet Gene Barry founder of the Fermoy International Poetry Festival","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/Fermoy-poet-Gene-Barry-founder-of-the-Fermoy-International-Poetry-Festival.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4471,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/pondering-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":427,"position":2},"title":"Pondering Poetry","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"29th March 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Whimsical verse on poetry, and the relationship between poet and reader...","rel":"","context":"In "Writing"","block_context":{"text":"Writing","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/writing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"From an exhibition in Longford a few years back","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/From-an-exhibition-in-Longford-a-few-years-back.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/From-an-exhibition-in-Longford-a-few-years-back.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/From-an-exhibition-in-Longford-a-few-years-back.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/From-an-exhibition-in-Longford-a-few-years-back.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/From-an-exhibition-in-Longford-a-few-years-back.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1229,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/discovering-the-writings-if-betjeman-and-the-argument-over-muses-in-poetry\/","url_meta":{"origin":427,"position":3},"title":"Discovering the writings if Betjeman, and the argument over Muses in Poetry","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"13th August 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"I have recently come across the work of the writer John Betjeman, who heretofor I had only known for his political activities, being vaguely aware of his writing capacities. 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It doesn't help that she looks like the girl next door, her image doesn't reflect her writing. Am I just\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Non Rhyming Poems"","block_context":{"text":"Non Rhyming Poems","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/non-rhyming-poems\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hera Lindsay Bird - the girl next door with the crude but not sexy language","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Hera-Lindsay-Bird.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Hera-Lindsay-Bird.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Hera-Lindsay-Bird.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Hera-Lindsay-Bird.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/Hera-Lindsay-Bird.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1604,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/passing-ships\/","url_meta":{"origin":427,"position":5},"title":"Passing Ships","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"12th April 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Passing ships on waters still Send waves to one another Perfect in form and speed until They hit upon the other The other ship they move and bob Depending on the size Of the boat, the wave and other The extent we realize. Be not afraid to sail the seas\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Inspirational Poetry"","block_context":{"text":"Inspirational Poetry","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/inspirational-poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=427"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":429,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427\/revisions\/429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}