05-07-2015, 01:28 AM
or all art for that matter.
I thought Anne made an interesting comment in one of the critique forums that I wanted to see if there was any interest in exploring.
She said, "... at the very least a poem should show the speaker has learned something essential about life. If what your speaker has learned or not learned is to not have compassion for a dying person then there is no hope for mankind because poets are supposed to philosophically bring further beauty and meaning to an otherwise unkind world."
It made me reflect. Are we trying to bring beauty and meaning to an unkind world? Is that what my work does? Art can provoke and probably should provoke at times. Is provoking bringing beauty or meaning?
I'm not trying to lead this anywhere, just wondered what people's thoughts were on the topic. And if you agree or disagree with Anne's statement, this is really not invitation to pile on. I'm using it more as a jumping off point as I've pulled it from its immediate context.
Caveats aside, opinions?
I thought Anne made an interesting comment in one of the critique forums that I wanted to see if there was any interest in exploring.
She said, "... at the very least a poem should show the speaker has learned something essential about life. If what your speaker has learned or not learned is to not have compassion for a dying person then there is no hope for mankind because poets are supposed to philosophically bring further beauty and meaning to an otherwise unkind world."
It made me reflect. Are we trying to bring beauty and meaning to an unkind world? Is that what my work does? Art can provoke and probably should provoke at times. Is provoking bringing beauty or meaning?
I'm not trying to lead this anywhere, just wondered what people's thoughts were on the topic. And if you agree or disagree with Anne's statement, this is really not invitation to pile on. I'm using it more as a jumping off point as I've pulled it from its immediate context.
Caveats aside, opinions?
The secret of poetry is cruelty.--Jon Anderson