4.11.2003
"sing a mumble-gumble song"
-shel silverstein
the other day, my professor was pontificating on the lost art of poetry. not so much that it doesn't exist in today's world, but that popular culture doesn't revere it in the ways it used to. there were times, for example, when it was common for everyday joes (or janes) to read, as well as write, poetry on a regular basis. i think we all recognize that this is not something we're exposed to in contemporary american culture.
or is it?
songwriting is an art that i think goes largely unnoticed and under-appreciated. its easy to see how this can happen when the airwaves have been dominated by goodies like "oops, i did it again." now, i can't deny this music its place in our repetoire (if you checked my computer right now, you would find the lastest justin timberlake singles) but lets not forget the rich variety that exists beyond the catchy and the cliche.
i was recently involved in a converstation with my brother-in-law where he was claiming that bruce springsteen is the poet laureate of our country. now i'm not sure i share his fervor for the boss, but i think he's onto something here... some of the most talented and captivating writers of our time are publishing their poetry not in anthologies or personal collections, but in cd liner notes. take for example this gem by ani difranco:
"you just close your eyes slowly
like you're waiting for a kiss
and hope some lowly little power
will pull you out of this
but none comes at first
and little comes at all
and when inspiration finally hits you
it barely even breaks your fall"
absolutely beautiful. the examples are endless. bob dylan. tori amos. adam duritz. joni mitchell. cat stevens. alanis morisette. paul simon. tracy chapman. billy joel. all politically-informed, socially-conscious, intelligent, capable and talented. i enjoy songs which make me think, make me feel, and make me understand. and after all, isn't that what poetry's all about?
8:08 AM // 0 comments
