Poetry in the 21st Century
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Explains the continuing relevance of poetry in our current era.

1,280 words; 1 sources; APA

As the 21st century begins, poetry remains relevant to the lives of people in the Western world, an antidote to the popular culture of spectacle and instant gratification. Using the example of British poet, Jamie McKendrick, this paper argues that poetry remains relevant because it reflects what is universally felt and experienced by humanity. Poetry is irrelevant to popular culture, but not to the populace. McKendrick's poetry reflects life in a way that more spectacular entertainment cannot do. His poems invite the reader to reflect on great questions and to notice small details and beauties of the world. One of McKendrick's abilities is to express emotions in a way that the readers themselves could perhaps never manage. Poets are truth-speakers, and because their work truly reflects life, it is seldom straightforward. It is rare that a poem is fully appreciated after the first reading. Poetry demands engagement with the reader or listener; it cannot be passively watched like a Hollywood film. The reader must interact with the poem, and in the process, helps create the poem, since the meaning inferred by one reader may be different from that of another reader, and both may be different from the author's intended meaning. The paper concludes that poetry continues to be relevant because it expresses the human experience and does so with an uncommon intimacy and truthfulness.

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