Rational Insanity
Pushing poetry to the limits
Literature encompasses a huge body of work composed of various genres. There has always been a healthy discussion as to which of these many genres has contributed greatly to the growth of literature. While all genre-based claims are logical claims, it should be understood that literature, like language, is a living, breathing concept. Many people claim that fiction represents a majority of literature, and still others disagree to this and contend that poetry is the bulk of today's literature. The truth to this argument is that it doesn't really matter which genre makes up a huge percentage of the literary body of work, what is more important is that all literaturists contribute to the progress of literature in whatever way we can.
On this note, I would like all literaturists to consider the challenges that come with each of the different genres. For theater and cinema writers, the challenge is to write something that would look good on stage or on film, and would at the same time, pass as a legitimate literary piece. For essayists, the challenge is to encapsulate and simplify a complex body of ideas with the end objective of the delivery of knowledge to the most basic of readers. For fictionists, other than propagating the conventions of good story writing, the ultimate challenge is to entertain the reader. On the outset, fictionists even gain a market in the performing art industry when their stories become basis for films or theater plays. Hence, obviously, the challenge for the literaturists that I have already mentioned is one that involves a prospect of tangibility. These mentioned genres have a market other than the one that is limited to the written word.
Now, let me bring your attention to poetry. Poetry is the literary genre that most consider high-browed; borrowing a phrase from Marcel Milliam, poets could well be considered the ‘literary elite'. Such is the conclusion because for people to appreciate poetry, and really appreciate it in the real sense of the word, a certain level of intellect is required. While the real challenge in any form of literature dwells in the ingenuity and creativity of the writer and his/her ability to follow literary conventions while remaining faithful to the standards of good literature, the level of acceptance varies for each of these genres, and frankly, poetry gets the smallest share of the pie when acceptance is considered. What could be the reason for this shortage of acceptance for poetry?
Consider this: it is already difficult to work with words, and for poetry, it is even more difficult because the end stakeholder is part of the process; simply put, poets do not just write for themselves; they write to convey abstract ideas to a public that only understands concrete concepts. The same challenge plagues all literaturists to begin with, but the challenge becomes even more complex for poets because aside from the written word, there is no other alternative means of sharing this genre with other people. True, there is poetry recitation and poetry in motion, which are both vain attempts to make tangible the written word which is both the origin and the end form of poetry. Efforts at making tangible a genre that exists to concretize the abstract will ultimately fail. This brings me to the question of WHO should be at the receiving end of poetry.
Singling out people who are good clients for poetry would be like discriminating who should be allowed to read or hear poetry and so puts poetry in a bad light. However, fact is, not all people can appreciate poetry; not all people can understand the conventions that go into the creation of poetry. Appreciation begins with knowing the art form by heart. If this precept is to be followed, then poets face a brick wall because only poets can truly appreciate the work of other poets. Intellectuals would digest poetry like they would digest any piece of literature, but eventually, the business of poetry becomes too complex and tiring for them that they would soon be tempted to explore other, simpler genres and drop poetry from their systems entirely.
Writers are lonely people – as Mam Merlie Alunan would put it; but I guess, poets are even lonelier. My personal experience only confirms this supposition. I began writing as a poet, and while the challenge of carrying on with the art form presents even more challenges, I believe that it is knowing the responsibilities of a poet that raises poetry to a different level. The business of pushing poetry to its limits is a business that only a poet could understand and faithfully commit to. Sure, there is no other known means of improving the acceptance rating of poetry the way one would window-dress a president or a country to improve ‘acceptance'. Poetry cannot be sold even if one comes up with a sales package the way marketing a social concept is done because poetry is an entirely different matter. I remember what the group of Dr. Cirillo Bautista once did – they posted printed poetry inside the LRT cabs, the effort was commendable, but had I not been a poet myself, would I have given those poems a second look? I have always said to myself that the real joy of being a poet comes when in a room full of people where none could appreciate poetry, one would seek to pursue or even just attempt to weave the fabric of beauty from a spool filled with words; or in that same room where none could appreciate poetry, at least one walks away with an inkling of the emotions that went into the poem that he/she heard.
Be rational; be insane… every once in a while! TTFN!
I love you all! Byers!