The Famous Poet
said we should
only
write poetry
to bring about
Change in the World.
I think
poetry should
capture moments
weave magic
record visions,
because poetry
should reflect
change in us.
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Shawn L. Bird 
I disagree with the person who said poetry should only be written to bring about change. My best poems were written for me only. They were written to purge what was inside me so I could get rid of it. Maybe that’s change,I don’t know, but I don’t think poetry should be limited by anything.
I agree. I think great poetry *can* bring about change, but I don’t think that’s all it’s good for.
Brilliant!!Love the thought 🙂
Thanks.
There is a beauty in poetry, it can change a life, it can give love.For a lot of people it can be so many things. Writing has helped me change a lot of things
Words have power. Be careful what you claim for yourself on paper, because it will come to be.
Great poem! Going through poetry written through the years, I can see the change. Poetry is a great indicator of the people we’ve become.
Even if we’re admiring a dragonfly and finding something profound in its beauty, we’ve been changed a little, and a poem can reflect that change. A sunset can touch us deeply. Certainly we can also use poetry to work through our daily crises and so document growth/change, as well.
Even writing to exorcise our demons creates a change, because when we finish we have at the least made some progress toward coming to terms with something. (And I really like this poem, by the way.)
Absolutely.
hmm. which famous poet said that?
I recently came across a quote from Auden in reply to something P.B. Shelly wrote. Auden says: “The unacknowledged legislators of the world” describes the secret police, not the poets.
Which made me think, if poetry could actually change the world… wouldn’t poets be the people running the world? and also.. wouldn’t that destroy the potential of poetry to be art? In order to love art, do it for the sake of art, is art required it to be essentially powerless?
Thanks for visiting my blog, btw!
It was a ‘famous poet’ (who shall remain nameless) in a workshop I attended last weekend. Awarding winning guy. Come to think of it, I believe he was quoting Ginsberg, actually.
Good points you make. However, who says the creators of the change are likely to be the leaders? In my experience, the power brokers take others’ words and manipulate them to their own purposes.
Because those who have the power to change the world do so and do so for their own benefit. I would love to see otherwise, but until then… Words are not required anymore than truth or votes for they all are bought and sold on the open market.
Whoa. That’s depressing.
I disagree. The millions of us who are working to eradicate polio- and have brought the stats down from 1000 cases a day to 41 so far this year, through our fund-raising and active participation, are just doing it for ourselves? We were immunized. There is no benefit for us to save millions of children from disfigurement, disability or death. It’s just the right thing to do. We’re changing the world.
That’s true. A lot of progress has been made with polio and it certainly has changed the word. There is widespread support for ending polio.
I could cite plenty of others examples to the opposite effect (climate change, undermining of habeas corpus, current economic depression, Iraq war, Monsanto Protection Act, the Halliburton loophole, etc), and yes, it is depressing. but… that’s not really the point is it?
What role did poetry play in ending polio? compared to say… the epidemics and the terrible symptoms which garnered so much public support to fight it? or the scientists who worked hard to create an effective and cheap solution?
If poetry can bring about change, great! I see a lot that needs changing in the world. Maybe I am missing something, but I don’t really see how it’s possible. Acting as a mirror only works when people have the audacity to confront the mirror and even then… you can’t make them accept the mirror as truth; that’s up to them.
Hey- I’m the one that said poetry isn’t meant to change the world: it should reflect our changes of perception. You’re the one who said “those who have the power to change the world do so and do so for their own benefit.” You didn’t put a poetry clause in your line!
I like my optimistic view. I see more happy things than negative things in my world.
I wholeheartedly agree, well said! It reminds me of the quote by Gandhi “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. 🙂 x
Great quote.
Thanks for stopping by and liking my poem. I look forward to reading more of yours.
This poem can make you think, as I have always believed poetry is more than an art form. Because nothing is more powerful than words that are spoken. I think the poetry should be for change in the world, but that change cannot be conquered unless our poetry has changed us.
Well said!
True that. And on an unrelated note, i’m falling in love with the simplicity of your poetry. It’s simple, yet the usage of words in such poetic and appropriate manner is most appealing!
Thank you. I follow the premise that brevity is an art, and that poetry should be concise.
So true…thanks for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by!