Thank you, Jason; reading this post of yours was extra special for me personally and I loved it. Have just upgraded to paid status--it was time. Thanks for writing and sharing and drawing what you do--I love your haikus.✅🙏
I love this! I can’t attach a picture, but using your flower example, the artist Severin Rosen (1800s) clearly knew nothing about plants or flowers, but found them so beautiful and painted still life compositions (from his own mental catalog, opposed to actually setting up a scene). We know he was no botanical aficionado because the flowers and fruits he painted together are not elements that would be in season together. I mean, there was not the ability to order various flowers from the other side of the world on a whim at that time. He just painted what are gorgeous compositions in appreciation of their sheer beauty. It doesn’t have to make sense. I just thought his concept was a revolutionary idea for that era. 🌻
Thank you for the Severin Rosen reference. I had read or heard about his work before, but never knew the name. I just spent a delightful time down the Severin Rosen rabbit hole!
I agree. At least in the U.S., we do such a disservice to people by teaching poetry as if it's some kind of chemical formula you have to decode. I love your metaphor of letting a poem crash over you like an ocean wave!
Well said, Sir! This is refreshing, as sometimes I just don’t get it either, but I must say, “it” sure is beautiful, even though I can’t exactly explain why it’s so.
This is very beautiful and well said, Jason! It’s funny that you uploaded this piece because I’ve been thinking a lot about what someone once told me about their relationship with poetry: they don’t read poetry because it’s difficult for them to understand. Your essay put a lot of things into perspective for me. I'm still learning, but if a poem is so vague that one's brain cannot conjure up at least one message or story that the poem might be communicating, perhaps it’s just a lousy poem? With ideas that don’t connect?
Thank you, Somiah! I have so many thoughts about this, and will probably post a longer, more thoughtful essay about the topic of poets and poetry later. But, in short I think two things. One, I'm not sure that ideas of "good" or "bad" poetry are useful. I think some poems are for me and some are not--and that is okay. Sometimes a poem that is not for me today, will be for me a later time once I've lived more life.
But also, poets, and all writers, have one responsibility--to tell the truth. Us poets sometimes have a bad habit of wanting to look clever for poetry editors, critics, and other poets. We get caught up in being clever instead of being truthful. The purpose of writing is to communicate something. Even though once you release something into the world it has a life of its own. But if our writing is so opaque that nobody understands anything about it, perhaps we have failed in our duty to tell the truth.
Thank you for responding! What you said in the first paragraph is such a great way to look at it. I’ve never thought of it like that before. Thank you!
For me, understanding a piece of art gets in the way. It's an obligation that highjacks people from how the art makes them feel. Did an art installation give you a jolt when you first saw it? Did the poem make you feel sad or warm inside even though you don't understand why? That's what I get out of art.
Interesting. You're right. Mainstream culture is designed to distract and exaggerate life (ever watch the latest Disney animated features?) so that if we feel anything authentic, there's a different rhythm and level of sensory perception. Our real feeling hit us differently and it's scary. (What in the hell am I talking about?)
As an educator, these are two words I never wanted to see together, but I immediately realized it is a concept requiring more attention. So worrying, it prompted me to write a haiku in solidarity:
That's a wonderful haiku! To be fair, I think most of the problem with the way poetry is taught (like so many things) is structural, teachers are conscribed by dictates from the administration, district, and the state.
Poetry has never been my medium, but as I live in Japan I have dabbled. However, now I see the relationship of poetry to writing. It teaches economy of words, and that is something I need to learn.
And great thoughts on beauty, poetry and educational malpractice.
To stick with your flower-power, I'd like to add that you don't need to be a botanist to feel, or think, or experience something when you see a flower. And it doesn't even have to be the same thing every single time you see that flower. And it's even better when it's unique to you, and not some thought *everybody* (thinks everybody) has or should have.
Thank you, Jason; reading this post of yours was extra special for me personally and I loved it. Have just upgraded to paid status--it was time. Thanks for writing and sharing and drawing what you do--I love your haikus.✅🙏
Thank you, Veronica! I appreciate your support!
Well said!
Thanks!
I love this! I can’t attach a picture, but using your flower example, the artist Severin Rosen (1800s) clearly knew nothing about plants or flowers, but found them so beautiful and painted still life compositions (from his own mental catalog, opposed to actually setting up a scene). We know he was no botanical aficionado because the flowers and fruits he painted together are not elements that would be in season together. I mean, there was not the ability to order various flowers from the other side of the world on a whim at that time. He just painted what are gorgeous compositions in appreciation of their sheer beauty. It doesn’t have to make sense. I just thought his concept was a revolutionary idea for that era. 🌻
Thank you for the Severin Rosen reference. I had read or heard about his work before, but never knew the name. I just spent a delightful time down the Severin Rosen rabbit hole!
Oh no! It’s so hard d to come back from! 😂 I hope you enjoyed it. Glad I could mention it.
"Beauty doesn’t require you to understand."
I never completely understood my wives though they both were beauties. Such is the nature of beauty sometimes.
This is hopeful and encouraging! I wish more people could know I t’s ok to let a poem wash over you like an ocean wave that can’t be held onto.
I agree. At least in the U.S., we do such a disservice to people by teaching poetry as if it's some kind of chemical formula you have to decode. I love your metaphor of letting a poem crash over you like an ocean wave!
Well said, Sir! This is refreshing, as sometimes I just don’t get it either, but I must say, “it” sure is beautiful, even though I can’t exactly explain why it’s so.
Thanks! I love the enigma of things I'm drawn to that I don't understand
This is very beautiful and well said, Jason! It’s funny that you uploaded this piece because I’ve been thinking a lot about what someone once told me about their relationship with poetry: they don’t read poetry because it’s difficult for them to understand. Your essay put a lot of things into perspective for me. I'm still learning, but if a poem is so vague that one's brain cannot conjure up at least one message or story that the poem might be communicating, perhaps it’s just a lousy poem? With ideas that don’t connect?
Thank you, Somiah! I have so many thoughts about this, and will probably post a longer, more thoughtful essay about the topic of poets and poetry later. But, in short I think two things. One, I'm not sure that ideas of "good" or "bad" poetry are useful. I think some poems are for me and some are not--and that is okay. Sometimes a poem that is not for me today, will be for me a later time once I've lived more life.
But also, poets, and all writers, have one responsibility--to tell the truth. Us poets sometimes have a bad habit of wanting to look clever for poetry editors, critics, and other poets. We get caught up in being clever instead of being truthful. The purpose of writing is to communicate something. Even though once you release something into the world it has a life of its own. But if our writing is so opaque that nobody understands anything about it, perhaps we have failed in our duty to tell the truth.
Thank you for responding! What you said in the first paragraph is such a great way to look at it. I’ve never thought of it like that before. Thank you!
For me, understanding a piece of art gets in the way. It's an obligation that highjacks people from how the art makes them feel. Did an art installation give you a jolt when you first saw it? Did the poem make you feel sad or warm inside even though you don't understand why? That's what I get out of art.
As a society we are afraid to feel our feelings, especially if those feelings are triggered by art.
Interesting. You're right. Mainstream culture is designed to distract and exaggerate life (ever watch the latest Disney animated features?) so that if we feel anything authentic, there's a different rhythm and level of sensory perception. Our real feeling hit us differently and it's scary. (What in the hell am I talking about?)
Wow. “Educational Malpractice”
As an educator, these are two words I never wanted to see together, but I immediately realized it is a concept requiring more attention. So worrying, it prompted me to write a haiku in solidarity:
Teacher malpractice
A fundamental failure
Death to love and hope
That's a wonderful haiku! To be fair, I think most of the problem with the way poetry is taught (like so many things) is structural, teachers are conscribed by dictates from the administration, district, and the state.
Poetry has never been my medium, but as I live in Japan I have dabbled. However, now I see the relationship of poetry to writing. It teaches economy of words, and that is something I need to learn.
What a lovely and funny poem! Really liked it.
And great thoughts on beauty, poetry and educational malpractice.
To stick with your flower-power, I'd like to add that you don't need to be a botanist to feel, or think, or experience something when you see a flower. And it doesn't even have to be the same thing every single time you see that flower. And it's even better when it's unique to you, and not some thought *everybody* (thinks everybody) has or should have.
Thanks! I totally agree. The point of poetry isn't to try and get the same answer as everyone else. The point is the exact opposite of that!