Poetry In Poetry: The Importance Of Poetry

Poetry is the everlasting method of literature, and is used to portray emotions and stories in a much more in depth and descriptive style, as explained by Sir Joshua Reynolds, ‘Poetry operates by raising our curiosity, engaging the mind by degrees to take an interest in the event, keeping that event suspended, and surprising at last with an unexpected catastrophe.’

Welcome back, ladies and gentleman to Burning Poetry on Dare the Dream FM, I’m your host Gary, and today we will be discussing the importance of poetry in modern society. Let’s get going!

The values, ideas, attitudes, and techniques contained within poetry prove its longevity and importance in helping relate to and understand contemporary issues. Easter 1916, written by William B. Yeats, focuses on the importance of freedom and war, as its based on the Irish uprising against the British. Freedom and war are still a relevant

At the beginning of the poem, it is easy to recognize he didn’t want to be associated with the uprising. But Yeats does realise credit must be given to the Irish, who fought. He shows the audience, that although he may not agree with the use of violence for the gain of freedom, he respects that the people involved willing to fight and die for his and many others freedom, and will be remembered throughout history.

Yeats repeats an oxymoron and paradox throughout the entire poem, appearing at the end of each stanza, which reinforces that the oxymoron contains the meaning of the whole poem. ‘A terrible beauty is born,’ explains how the poet saw the deaths caused by this war were terrible, but the perseverance to rise up and sacrifices made by the soldiers for their country and cause has a sense of beauty. It also unveils to the reader a sense of uncertainty, which has been infused into the poem, and how it displays the importance of the uprising in the poet’s life.

Hearts with one purpose alone

Through summer and winter