Sunday - Poetry
I have a shameful secret when it comes to poetry.
I don't get it. I mean, I know what it is and that it appeals to some people, but for me, the closest I get to enjoying poetry is when I quote song lyrics. I don't understand why someone would like some of the stuff that's really out there and incomprehensible. I'm not making a judgment, I just literally can't understand what there is to enjoy about it. I'm too old to take a poetry appreciation class, and it would probably just end up with me demanding my money back because it didn't take. (Personally, I swear that the people who talk about how much they love it and how the symbolism evokes all these feelings, blah blah blah, have absolutely no idea what it's about but just say those things to sound smart.) I'm not a stupid man, but I really don't have any appreciation for that kind of flowery art. And the stuff that's not flowery? Completely pretentious. I like to write, but you can write a story or something non-fiction and have no talent for poetry. I can't write it. I'm not affected one way or the other by what I read. And I think that's the big thing for me. There's no visceral reaction when I read a poem. All I can think about are people in berets sitting around smoking cigarettes and banging on their bongos while they try to out-cool one another. I guess I associate it so much with the hippie dippy set, it's all kind of turned into a joke for me. I'm sorry, but there's no way to do a poetry reading and not sound like a completely affected bozo.
You know what? I take back what I said before. It's not a shameful secret. It's just the truth. I'll stick to enjoying songs and revel in being a square.
Will Porter
Original Character
I don't get it. I mean, I know what it is and that it appeals to some people, but for me, the closest I get to enjoying poetry is when I quote song lyrics. I don't understand why someone would like some of the stuff that's really out there and incomprehensible. I'm not making a judgment, I just literally can't understand what there is to enjoy about it. I'm too old to take a poetry appreciation class, and it would probably just end up with me demanding my money back because it didn't take. (Personally, I swear that the people who talk about how much they love it and how the symbolism evokes all these feelings, blah blah blah, have absolutely no idea what it's about but just say those things to sound smart.) I'm not a stupid man, but I really don't have any appreciation for that kind of flowery art. And the stuff that's not flowery? Completely pretentious. I like to write, but you can write a story or something non-fiction and have no talent for poetry. I can't write it. I'm not affected one way or the other by what I read. And I think that's the big thing for me. There's no visceral reaction when I read a poem. All I can think about are people in berets sitting around smoking cigarettes and banging on their bongos while they try to out-cool one another. I guess I associate it so much with the hippie dippy set, it's all kind of turned into a joke for me. I'm sorry, but there's no way to do a poetry reading and not sound like a completely affected bozo.
You know what? I take back what I said before. It's not a shameful secret. It's just the truth. I'll stick to enjoying songs and revel in being a square.
Will Porter
Original Character