What do you think of poetry?

[Fawful]

I'm curious to see how people here think of poetry. Fairly self-explanatory: What do you think of poetry? Would you consider poetry to be an art? Do you read poetry? What do you think of rap/hip-hop compared to poetry?

I can't stand poetry. Even after trying to like it several times in the past, it always gets a negative reaction out of me to put it lightly. I just don't understand what is so great about it.

But that just my own opinion, what's yours?

 

[smearyllama]

I like poetry, and I think rap is about on the same level of poetry.
I mean, it all depends on what type, but a lot of it is pretty awesome.
Take Kenji as an example.

 

[Ibanez887]

I love poetry! Being as a musician, I kinda have to love any form of artistic expression (at least according to my definition of a musician)
Also.....
WELCOME TO THE ESCAPIST!!!!

 

[Titanguy654]

Fawful was his name,
hatin' was his game-
needs to back his stuff,
can't just say he doesn't,it, that's not enough.
Tell us your woes, tell us your needs,
Why not like poetry? I have no leads.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

See the happy moron,
He doesn't give a damn,
I wish I was a moron,
My god! Perhaps I am!

Poetry is only as astounding as you let it be.

 

[Naheal]

I'm a Poe fan.

 

[Squidden]

I really hate it. A ton of poetry is like "Modern art" in the sense that you can't understand it, it is just words on a page. Some poetry is good, but (Don't remember the name) there was one that was about some guy sitting in a tree and seeing a snake in the grass. It's not like it provoked any thoughts in my mind. It didn't actually contribute to anything. There is alot of poetry like that, which is why I don't like it.

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

Poetry is a lot like anime, a lot of people will dismiss it on the surface, but will end up discovering that among it, there's something for them, I can't write (decent) poetry myself, so people who can do so earn my respect in that matter, and although I hate more recent, especially politically slanted poems, I find that I love classic, particularly Victorian poetry.

I'll just leave one here.

Spoiler: Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Charge of the Light Brigade

Half a league, half a league,
  Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
  Rode the six hundred.
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns' he said:
Into the valley of Death
  Rode the six hundred.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldiers knew
  Some one had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
  Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
  Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
  Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turned in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army while
  All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
  Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
  Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
  All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
  Noble six hundred!

 

[Outright Villainy]

Eh, it really depends. I've read some really great poems, but by and large I don't really like it.

I'm not fond of obscure imagery that's all disconnected that most poets favour, but I love how some poems can be short, yet unbelievably forceful. Once, a simple two verse poem nearly moved me to tears.

I don't go out of my way to read it though.

 

[Atticus89]

Honestly, I don't care much for it. Some are more obvious in message than others, but most just don't catch my interest.

 

[The Reaper's Game]

English students have to do poetry at my Uni and in general I'm not enjoying it so far. But then there's the occaisional mind-blower, and its just... woah.
Also Fort Minor's an awesome example!
Our lecturer actually played a song called "The City Sleeps" by MC 900 ft Jesus...

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Eh, not really part of my interests.

 

[Mr.Incognitus]

I'm not a great fan of it, but some haikus amuse me

Videogames woo
Hooray for videogames
I need a zebra

 

[kaveradeo]

no. i believe poetry is boring.

 

[JamesBr]

I write it occasionally, but rarely read it. I enjoy the word play from a manipulating language point of view, the math involved in meter and rhyme. The puns and word play. But I hate flowery, emotional poetry, stuff that overflows with overly pretty yet shallow imagery. Paradise Lost, The Odyssey, The Divine Trilogy and other epics are amazing poetry. Some random emo kid's masterbatory bullshit can crawl back under the rock in came from. I enjoy it as an exercise in manipulating the rules of language, nothing more.

 

[adakias]

Poetry CAN be good, but a lot of people really just B.S. it. You have to really fish around for the good stuff, and it's sometimes not worth the effort.