The Job of the Poet

[Sinann of Erin]

Was listening to an interview of Neil deGrasse Tyson, talking about science (he's an astrophysicist), and he says that he thinks "the job of the poet" is to "reveal to the reader the beauty of something so simple you had taken it for granted".

I think there's a lot to that, but I'm not a poet, and I don't like much poetry, to be honest. What do the poets here think about that statement?

[Klaark]

A poet's job is to stock the shelves at Walmart.

Bah ha ha ha!

I have nothing constructive to add to this discussion and so I'll be leaving it now.

[Sir Icehawk]

To some but not all. Different poems have different goals.

[Lizabeth Storm]

Personally, I'm a huge fan of Neil deGrasse Tyson, so thanks for bringing this up.
I've been starting my own journey with poetry recently, consuming and producing more poetry than I have ever before, and I have to say that to an extent he's absolutely right. Part of the beauty of poetry, especially in the use of metaphor, is the ability to take something familiar and make it completely new again. For example, I recently read a poem by Robert Frost, I'm blanking on the title, but he compares old snow, filled with dirt and grime, to a newspaper. Since then, I haven't been able to think of old snow without associating it with that image. On the other hand, there is a lot of poetry that tackles incredibly complex and personal ideas about religion, life, purpose, ect. Sometimes these ideas are compared to simple, beautiful things, but often, especially in more surreal poetry, the ideas really aren't simplified much at all.
So I guess I'm on the fence about Neil deGrasse Tysosn's theory here. It's a cool idea, fairly poetic in it's own right, but really, poetry spans a large area and the idea is probably too simplified.

[Cogent Dream]

Art appears differently in the eye of the beholder. You're free to agree or disagree with his opinion based on your own values.

In general though, the more specific you get the less you represent a category as a whole. When he says "simple" I can already tell he's cut out a huge portion of poetry.

[WideEyed]

What purpose lies in poetry?
Reveal the beauty, though it be
Ungainly, common, caked with grime
And in the doing, make it rhyme. wink

the NJP strikes again. rofl

[evilfangirl137]

I think that it is a wonderful veiw on poetry. I find that it is very true but that there of course is much more to poetry than just that

[Mistress Legacy]

Klaark

A poet's job is to stock the shelves at Walmart.

Bah ha ha ha!

I have nothing constructive to add to this discussion and so I'll be leaving it now.

LOL to this.

[Marokia]

The job of a poet is to be a poet. Word.

[Sinann of Erin]

Marokia

The job of a poet is to be a poet. Word.

rolleyes Now define poet. wink

[Marokia]

Sinann of Erin

Marokia

The job of a poet is to be a poet. Word.

rolleyes Now define poet. wink

Like the rest of art, poetry is hard as hell to define, and when we can define poetry, that's when e define poet.

That a sufficient answer, or would like me to explain the meaning of life? I got time.

[Sorrowful_Penguin]

There is no such thing as a job for a poet. A poet can be anyone. Anyone who has passion about anything, or who feels the need to express their emotions in a non violent, healthy way.

[Sinann of Erin]

Marokia

Sinann of Erin

Marokia

The job of a poet is to be a poet. Word.

rolleyes Now define poet. wink

Like the rest of art, poetry is hard as hell to define, and when we can define poetry, that's when e define poet.

That a sufficient answer, or would like me to explain the meaning of life? I got time.

No, I don't think that's a sufficent answer. Painting is an art, but we can define what a painting is. Why couldn't you define what a poem is?

[Marokia]

Sinann of Erin

Marokia

Sinann of Erin

Marokia

The job of a poet is to be a poet. Word.

rolleyes Now define poet. wink

Like the rest of art, poetry is hard as hell to define, and when we can define poetry, that's when e define poet.

That a sufficient answer, or would like me to explain the meaning of life? I got time.

No, I don't think that's a sufficent answer. Painting is an art, but we can define what a painting is. Why couldn't you define what a poem is?

Considerably, poetry is hard to define, and I really don't think you should be searching for an answer.

I don't know. I just rely on all that universe is deep s**t, you know?

A poet is a pet. That is the simplest answer we have. Considerably, I've always hated textbook definitions. They're boring.

I think if we begin to try and define the arts, we get weird and stuff, and into stuff that should really be left alone.

A poet writes poetry. Let's leave it at that.

[The Draken]

My creative writing teacher a few years back told me that writers are people who know how to look at the world. I've held on to that.