Why isn't poetry popular like other arts?

[Ecurb]

More films inspired by poems: "Howl", "Man from Snowy River", "Braveheart", and "Under Milkwood".

The movie Gunga Din wasn't much like the poem, but it was a great movie, is you can ignore the '30s era racism.

[MorpheusSandman]

All of Stan Brakhage's films have been inspired by his love for poetry. He's said in interviews that his experiments in film come from his wish to create a poetry of film after his failure at being a poet in print.

[Pierre Menard]

Tarkovsky's films also contain quite a lot of poetic influence.

[MorpheusSandman]

Tarkovsky's films also contain quite a lot of poetic influence.

Can't believe I forgot him! It especially makes sense considering his father one of the great 20th Century Russian poets.

[Shaman_Raman]

It appears the argument that poetry is out of style has pretty much been squished, lol. However, the OP gave a valid point, that older poets seem to be held in a much higher regard than modern ones. But looking at any form of art, I'd say this is true, whether it's paintings, novels, films..."To Kill a Mockingbird" is considered one of the best novels and films ever, and I'm not really sure as to why. "The Great Gatsby" is another one of those, which I wasn't really too fond of the novel, but Fitzgerald is still being praised for his genius. But what movies or novels written recently have been put up in the category with those that are old? I don't see any modern film replacing "Gone with the Wind" anytime soon, if ever.

It's like antiques. Humans spent so much time making new things over and over, but now we collect old things and place higher value on them.

[MorpheusSandman]

But what movies or novels written recently have been put up in the category with those that are old?

I don't know about novels, but Mulholland Drive and In the Mood for Love have already cracked TSP's Top 100, both quite a bit ahead of Gone with the Wind. I actually agree MD is better (it's been in my top 10 since I first saw it), but I think ITMFL is terribly overrated. Yi Yi (at 168) is far superior.

In general, though, your point is valid; it takes time for novels, films, poems/poets to enter the canon. It's very rarely instantaneous. I'd still claim, though, that there are several modern poets that certain readers and critics would hold up to the best older ones.

[mortalterror]

It appears the argument that poetry is out of style has pretty much been squished, lol. However, the OP gave a valid point, that older poets seem to be held in a much higher regard than modern ones. But looking at any form of art, I'd say this is true, whether it's paintings, novels, films..."To Kill a Mockingbird" is considered one of the best novels and films ever, and I'm not really sure as to why. "The Great Gatsby" is another one of those, which I wasn't really too fond of the novel, but Fitzgerald is still being praised for his genius. But what movies or novels written recently have been put up in the category with those that are old? I don't see any modern film replacing "Gone with the Wind" anytime soon, if ever.

It's like antiques. Humans spent so much time making new things over and over, but now we collect old things and place higher value on them.

While Gone With the Wind is probably about the fifth greatest film of all time, there are recent additions that compare. For instance, Pulp Fiction, Schindler's List, and Goodfellas are as good. Of the really recent batch there are a number of great films.

2012 Cloud Atlas, The Hobbit, Django Unchained
2011 The Tree of Life, Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale
2010 I Saw The Devil, Inception, The Yellow Sea
2009 The Secret in Their Eyes
2008 The Good The Bad The Weird, In Bruges, John Adams
2007 No Country For Old Men, The Man From Earth
2006 Pan's Labyrinth, Children of Men, The Fountain, Curse of the Golden Flower
2005 Serenity
2004 Downfall, The Aviator, Tai Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War,
2003 Master and Commander, LOTR Return of the King, Oldboy, The Best of Youth, The Fog of War
2002 Infernal Affairs, City of God, Bowling For Columbine, 28 Days Later, LOTR: The Two Towers, Hero, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance,
2001 Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Band of Brothers, The Devil's Backbone, Black Hawk Down, Spirited Away, Amelie, A Beautiful Mind, Training Day
2000 Battle Royale, Memento, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Requiem For a Dream, Traffic

And the best of the last decade is probably Pan's Labyrinth. People are going to remember that one for a long time.

I could tell from the first chapter that Cloud Atlas was going to be a classic, and it's been on my list of books to read for what seems like forever. I almost didn't see the movie last year because I wanted to read the book first, but I'm glad I did. Best movie of the year. I'm sure the book is even better. As for other novels, while I didn't really love Blood Meridian, enough smart people have gone against me that I'm probably wrong. That was published in '85. My Name is Red by Orham Pamuk 1998, really liked what I've read. Pretty much anything by Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Haruki Murakami is going to be a classic. I've been hearing nice things about Infinite Jest since I was in college. 2666 by Roberto Bolano was written in 2004 like Cloud Atlas and that's supposed to be really really good. We've definitely got a few new guys muscling into the canon.

Stelios Faitakis, Michael Triegel, Gottfried Helnwein, and Odd Nerdrum are going to be in the painting canon eventually for their recent work. Depending how their careers go Sterling Hundley and James Jean might do something interesting too. But for classical music and poetry I'm almost completely in the dark about new and emerging talents. I hear names from time to time but they are usually garbage when I check them out. I sort of like Steve Reich but the last thing I heard which I'm sure is a classic was Symphony of Sorrowful Songs by Gorecki written in '76.

[Ecurb]

"The Hobbit"? Surely you jest. It's one of the worst movies I've actually gone to a theater to see. (I'll grant that a taste for long, boring battle scenes might lead one to admire both "The Hobbit" and "Django Unchained".) "Gone with the Wind" isn't a great movie artistically, but it's the definitive "studio" movie -- a blockbuster novel turned into a reverent souffle with all the trimmings: handsome casting, dramatic music, historical drama, and all of those sunsets to frame the pretty pictures.

As far as poetry I've memorized from the last 60 years -- I probably know three or four Tolkien poems by heart -- but I wasn't counting them, for some reason, perhaps because they don't qualify as great poetry (althugh they're fun). "One ring to rule them all....."

[Shaman_Raman]

This link fits the LOTR arguement best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKbyWSwd7hk

I guess in the end, it doesn't really matter a whole lot what ranks ahead of what. Any unpopular piece of art will have someone out there that thoroughly enjoyed it. And the opposite...Citizen Kane? Really? Was never too moved from that one.

[MorpheusSandman]

"Gone with the Wind" isn't a great movie artistically, but it's the definitive "studio" movie

I don't agree with either of these statements... though it probably depends on what you mean by "artistic." As for "definitive 'studio' movie," I don't even know how you'd begin to define such a thing... I mean, it's the studio system working on the grandest scale, but is it any more definitive than, say, The Wizard of Oz or Metropolis or Rear Window or Citizen Kane or...

[Sameer Telkar]

I see painting hasn't evolved into animation but one needs painting skills to learn animation.So painters enjoy opportunities in animation.

[MorpheusSandman]

I see painting hasn't evolved into animation but one needs painting skills to learn animation.

No, again; the two are just completely different arts that don't use the same tools (canvass VS paper, paintbrushes VS pencils), or the same techniques. There are a few similarities that apply, but those similarities are shared in all of the visual arts (including photography).

[astrum]

Is it not arguable that poetry, or even the humanities in general, were at least more respected in the past? It was not too long ago that Literae Humaniores was the degree of choice for young gentlemen in Britain, especially those wanting to go into politics or civil service. Now it's largely considered irrelevant and 'soft'.

I wonder if current trends in grade inflation played a role?

[tonywalt]

Part of the reason for the boom in poetry consumption is the internet. The last few presidential inaugurations, and the tradition is likely to stick even with a change in party, have had well known poets read. This year it was Richard Blanco with "One Today".

[Nick Capozzoli]

As song lyrics, poetry is very popular. Many people know the lyrics to their favorite songs by heart.

Excellent point, and true!

The perennial popularity of song indicates a natural human fascination for words combined with music. Music unassociated with words has also always been popular. This includes purely instrumental music, vocal music without formed words (e.g. humming a tune), and music associated with dance (with or without song).

Pound said that poetry withers the farther it gets from music, and music withers the farther it gets from dance. I guess that means he felt that the basic impulse for all art is dance (including painting, sculpture, and architecture)... You may or may not agree, but it is an interesting idea.

There may be a kind of hierarchy of art forms, in terms of their immediate "attractiveness" to an audience. As regards aural art, it does seem that a catchy tune or rhythm engages listeners quite easily, and thus become "popular." Words associated with such musical accompaniment (i.e. song lyrics) benefit from this association. In part because of this association they become "memorable." Think of the various advertising "jingles" you can't seem to get out of your head. "Call Roto-Router, that's the name, and away go troubles down the drain. Roto-Router!" etc... Modern advertising copywriters are, in a sense, consummate poets. They may not get much academic recognition, but at least they are well paid... e.e. cummings did write fine poetry incorporating advertising jingles.

But we are not talking about successful advertising jingles or popular song lyrics, both of which are by definition "popular." We are talking about "pure" poetry and whether or not it is or can be "popular."

I think a reasonable answer is that such poetry can be popular if it is "memorable" in much the same way that advertising jingles and song lyrics become memorable.