Poetry's Precious Existence

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Recommended: The history of British poetry

The way poetry latches on to social values and captures human emotion makes it precious to the development of human nature. Poems can force people to embrace deep feelings about subjects that they may never have thought they were passionate about before. In an article that marks poetry’s capacity to change the world, Adrienne Rich beautifully states, “when poetry lays its hand on our shoulder we are, to an almost physical degree, touched and moved” (Legislators of the World). It is an almost indescribable truth, that poetry in its many forms can send shivers down the spines of its readers. Elegies are among the many intelligent forms of poetry that possess this ability because they are known to derive intense emotions from all those who encounter them. An elegies technique is distinct in the way it reveals a somber subject, often times, death, and offers a sense of comfort on the matter. Elegies such as, Tiara, by Mark Doty and, Epitaph- On her Son H.P. at the Syth’s Church where her body also lies interred, by Katherine Philips, take their readers on journeys that deal with the onset of great pain and confusion and sequentially, the release of such intense emotions. The success of an elegy is accomplished through the use of universal themes, tone, and structure. And no matter how the finished product turns out, it is great, because the value of human voice holds an unwavering importance to humanity.

First, to prepare for a closer look at Doty and Philips’s poems, it would help to continue with a more in-depth look at specific aspects of the elegy. The purpose of doing so would make clear that the authors of each poem made a deliberate choice to relay their messages through the use of elegies. It is a form that is almost...

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...ly speaks back to your thoughts and is extremely unique in that sense. And although there are no real obvious answers when speaking in terms of facts, the human response to poetry cannot be overlooked because its presence is vital to the growth of a community. In a final quote by Hall, where he argues the importance of poetry, he writes:

Let me argue this: if poetry is nebulous or inexact, if it is impossible to determine with scientific precision the value or the meaning of a work of art, this in exactness is the price literature pays for representing whole human beings and for embodying whole human feelings (vii) When thoughts are developed on paper to create poems like the ones discussed, poetry can be justified as precious and truly unique to society because of their proven talent at being capable of both calming and lifting spirits at the very same time.

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