The Power of Poetry

“Oh Captain, my Captain!” This was the exhortation Robin Williams preferred to be referenced by when being addressed by his students in the film, The Dead Poets Society. But why? Because the captain is responsible for setting the course and guiding his crew to a successful journey. This is what the teacher was doing as he tried to reach these young men to get them out of their comfort zone and teach them to become freethinkers. He also encouraged them to find their own identity and be true to themselves.

This he did by teaching them the power of poetry. He knew that language is the engine that powers human thought; a tool that enables us to relate to each other and thereby come together. The creation of language gives form to our thoughts and allows us to capture them in words. Without language, we would be reduced to just grunting and groaning at each other while rolling our eyeballs…think about it. This was made known to me in my college philosophy class; that language was actually a “thing” and a very important one.

If language is so important, then our use of it and the way we express it is as much an art as it is a science. This is manifest in our culture in the many ways we express ourselves in the arts. From the crackling sounds of Al Jolson singing on a 78 record, to the powerful, opening monologue of the movie Patton and even to the balcony scene in Romeo & Juliette, the ability to express thought/emotion in words has been a hallmark of human interaction. The arts even combine in some ways to expand their power and beauty, such as the teaming of words with melodies to create the lyrics of songs.

To me, poetry may be the highest, art form in the expression of language. Like all writing endeavors, poetry can entertain, provide information, share insights and capture opinions, but it also “feeds” emotion. If a poem doesn’t move you, it is of little value; it’s just words. I believe no form of art, save visual media or music, compels emotion as effectively as good poetry. Because poetry takes the language and attempts to synthesize words into their most concise and emotive form, boiling a thought or feeling down to its essence.

Still, despite the potential of poetry to be so effective in relating the human experience, it has all but died as an art form in popular culture. The reason, in my opinion, is bad poetry. In a world where everyone gets a participation trophy and all submissions are equal, we have given license for any diary post or journal entry to pass as poetry. Boring! Nobody wants to follow rambling, diatribes or listen to whiny, misgivings. There is a place for free-form poetry, and I use it too, but the best poems should have both rhyme and meter; and the two need to play off each other. Then, as you read, you fall into a cadence that causes the words to flow smoothly and accentuates the rhyme. This makes the poem effective and pleasurable, especially if you can relate to the feelings being shared. This is the notion I addressed in my verse, To Write a Poem.

As a result, poetry has the power to heal; both in its expression and in its reception. In writing poems, the author should find emotional release through the expression of their feelings/thoughts. Conversely, in receiving a meaningful, poem, the reader should find release in recognition that others understand and also find hope in that awareness. As an example, I once read a poem shared in an online, chat room in the early days of the internet. My heart bled for this avatar I only knew as Nightcat. Her poem made her pain and sorrow palpable to me. Although I could never fully, understand her pain, I could feel the severity of it, and the sadness! In tears, I had no choice but to answer her poem with a poem in response. It was going to explode out of me, and I found great, release in its expression. Not only that, but she did respond to thank me and let me know I had helped her. It was so long ago; I will share this exchange here as an example of this power of poetry of which I speak. (And wherever you are today Nightcat, I pray you are well and wish you peace. -Plainsong)

Broken Dreams (by Nightcat in 9/23/96)
Once upon a time
Never happened to me
Never found the rhyme
a single cup of tea
Prince Charming never came
Instead I got a knife
I can’t say who’s to blame
I Didn’t want this life
But this little girl was made
in that dirty place
Memories don’t fade
I remember his face.

Wore my rape shoes today
& I felt a little stronger
And I know what you’ll say
I can’t stay silent any longer
But this little girl inside
Doesn’t want to hear
All she wants to do is hide
Alone with her fear
And her broken dreams
Of once upon a time.

For Nightcat (by Plainsong in 9/24/96)
I sit by your sadness of broken dreams,
and feel all your loss, hear all your screams.
I want badly to hold you and show you I care,
and drive away demons that cause you despair.
For dreams, I have plenty
and plenty to share.

We all have our crosses to carry in life,
and some are so heavy we only feel strife.
But don’t give up dreaming and wishing them true.
I know by your heartache, you’re certainly due!
For dreams mend like magic,
and they shall for you.

So, though darkest memories won’t totally fade,
there are wishes within you that long to be made.
Remember that peace will yet find you someday.
There’s somebody who’s waiting to show you the way,
to love and to laughter-
no longer to pay.