Culture Wars
posted 4 October 2007

The forum began with a provocative introduction by Ray Tallis, published poet and emeritus professor of geriatric medicine, who made a defence of poetry as a solitary pursuit. He argues that poetry must be read, re-read and studied to be understood properly, and that the rise of so-called poetry ‘gigs’ is thus a worrying phenomenon. Today’s poetry suffers from an obsession with poets needing to ‘have their own voice’, and not enough contemporary poets have read past masters to make their poems truly great. And whilst the great poets of the past often had to work hard to attract a dedicated band of admirers – for example, the French poet Mallarmé in the last half of the nineteenth century lived in near-poverty, organising gatherings at his house to read and discuss his work – too many poets today seem to get lucky simply by filling in an Arts Council application.

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The discussion started by considering what it is to understand a poem – do we need to be aware of a poem’s structure and the technical devices it uses in order to appreciate it fully? And further, do we need to have studied past masters and know about the broader cultural setting of poetry for it to make sense?

Whilst at first blush it seemed to many present that an intimacy with technical issues of style and structure led to a deeper appreciation of poetry, and was maybe even necessary for appreciating poetry, the issue quickly became more complex. The point was made that many people have fulfilling and meaningful relationships with poetry without having any formal training at all. It’s further possible to ‘get’ a poem instinctively, or to pick up on the fact that a poem is doing something without knowing why.

Performance poetry augments the question further – the audience cannot read the poem for themselves, and neither have they studied it in advance. Whilst there was a consensus that all good readers of poetry have an instinct for features like rhyme and rhythm (and the best readers of poems aren’t always their authors), whether this has to come from formal training remained an open question.

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With the annoucement of the Forward Poetry Prize winners halfway through the forum, the discussion turned to considering the state of contemporary poetry. The Forward Prize prides itself on including poets young and old in its shortlist, but is this because younger poets can truly compete on equal footing with more established writers, or does it reflect a broader cultural fetishisation of young people? With the current growth of performance poetry and online publishing, it sometimes seems that anybody and everybody can be a poet.

Several people commented on the current vogue of ‘existential’ verse, with (often) young people spilling forth their emotions in the mistaken belief that it makes good poetry. But whilst it seems society encourages this sort of confessionalism, obsessing with what young people feel and encouraging narcissism, it’s important to realise the initial desire to write poetry is itself worthwhile.

Rather than society fetishising young poets, it may be the case it fetishises poets – and poetry – wholesale. But why is the idea of a poet so beguiling? Is it because the ‘essence’ of poetry lies in touching the transcendental, in having an experience of the sublime experiences through standing in awe of verse? This question most divided the group, with some taking a more ‘traditionalist’ approach that sees the ultimate end of poetry as an experience of Beauty; with others being willing to admit equally valid ways of appreciating and enjoying poetry.

The discussion came to a close with consideration of poetry and public discourse – with the internet now a tool for distribution and the rules and space of public discourse significantly changed, how can we ensure that the best poetry gets read, and how should poets seek to engage with society en masse rather than with their own particularised identity group? Has the Forward Prize significantly contributed to raising the profile of today’s poetry?

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Ray Tallis at large:

Freewill is not an illusion – talk given to the Manifesto Club. (See also a related debate at the Battle of Ideas festival, 27-28 October 2007.)

Enhancing Humanity in Philosophy Now.

The Culture Wars Forum is a monthly meeting in London of Culture Wars contributors and others, discussing a variety of topics and current trends in the arts and culture.