Which is more important?

[ChristopherSea]

Poetry is a great way of stepping out of yourself if you wish too. That is why I must reiterate many times that 'The poem is not the poet'. When I hear that a poem is insensitive or biased or preachy or whatever, it seems like a ridiculous comment. On the other hand, I am very proud of a piece that disturbs others due to its effectiveness. We don’t characterize an author who writes of a rape, murder or about slavery, as condoning them. It's a strange assumption that the poet writes exclusively about himself, his feelings or his opinions. We are allowed to write fiction.