Local Gems Press
  • Home
    • James P. Wagner (Ishwa)
    • Storm of the Bards >
      • Storm of the Bards Preorders
  • Poet's Academy
    • Writing in an eBook World
    • Selling Your Poetry Book Course
    • Putting Together A Poetry Book
    • Publishing Your Poetry Free Seminar
    • Submitting Your Book To A Publisher
    • Self-Publishing Your Book
    • Publishing VS Self-Publishing Virtual Seminar
    • Publishing Bundles Order Page
    • Selling Your Poetry Book Virtually
    • Japanese Poetry History and Forms
    • Planning a Poetry Book Tour
    • Four Seminar Bundle
    • Poetry Book Master Course
    • Hosting a Poetry Reading
    • Sonnet, The Greatest Form
    • Getting Your Book In Stores
    • Publishing Your Poetry Course
    • Doubling Your Acceptance Ratio
  • Publishing Coaching
    • Seminar Recording Library
    • Holiday Course Sale
    • Question Page
    • Unlocking Your Poetic Potential >
      • Unlocking Your Poetic Potential Course
  • Bulk Orders
  • NaPoWriMo Contest
  • Blog
    • Ishwa's Poetry Blog
    • Nick Hale's Poetry Blog
  • NoVA Bards 2024
  • Free Poetry Prompts
  • Buzzin Bards Poetry Anthology
  • Empire Poetry Verse
    • Empire Poetry Verse Preorders
  • Florida Bards Poetry Anthology
  • Phoenix Poetry Chapbook Challenge
  • Poetic Memoir Chapbook Challenge
  • 49 Haiku Challenge 2024
  • Poetry Forms Chapbook Challenge
  • Autumn Poetry Chapbook Challenge
  • FREE Poetry Prompts
  • Ohio Bards Poetry Anthology
  • Harmonic Verse Anthology
  • Poets of the Promise Anthology
  • Ghosts in The Verse Poetry Chapbook Challenge
  • Poet's Almanac Launch Bundle
  • 30 Day Poetry Prompt Journal 2024
  • 30 Day Poetry Prompt Journal 2025
  • Minute Musings
    • Minute Musings Preorders
  • Publishing Your Poetry Chapbook
    • Publishing Your Poetry Chapbook Live Order Page
    • Publishing Your Poetry Chapbook Order Page
  • Texas Bards Poetry Anthology
    • Texas Bards Preorders
  • Bards West Poetry Anthology
    • Bards West Preorders
  • Eastern Sea Bards Poetry Anthology
    • Eastern Sea Bards Preorders
  • Ghosts Echoes and Shadows Anthology
    • Ghosts Echoes & Shadows Preorders
  • Bayou, Blues & Red Clay Poetry Anthology
    • Bayou Blues & Red Clay Preorders
  • Misty Coast Bards Poetry Anthology
    • Misty Coast Bards Preorders
  • San Francisco Bards Poetry Anthology
    • San Francisco Bards Preorders
  • Bards Advent Calendar
  • Bards Across The Pond
    • Bards Across The Pond Preorders
    • Bards Across The Pond eProof
  • Dawn Horizons Anthology
    • Dawn Horizons Preorders
  • Tennessee Bards Poetry Anthology
  • 7 Day Poetry Writing Challenge
  • Local Gems Classifieds
  • Georgia Bards Poetry Anthology
    • Georgia Bards Preorders
  • Smashing The Writer's Block The Hammer
  • The Eagle And The Maple
  • Bards Poetica Anthology

Why (Y) Poetry?

2/2/2013

0 Comments

 

The art of poetry is something that has been tried and true, tested for thousands of years. And despite some misconceived popular beliefs, it is more relevant than ever. In fact, in a fast-paced world where the most common complaints are that people are moving too rapidly, that people feel more connected through technology but less connected than ever and that people don't seem to listen, poetry is the perfect remedy--especially for the younger folks of generation Y.

Let's face it--there have been quite a few advantages and disadvantages of growing up in the Y generation. Some of the advantages include the fact that the Y generation is in many respects one the most educated and most skilled generations that has yet existed. Yet for all of the abilities they also seem to lack motivation or at the very least suffer from a confusion of where to put their skills, usually suffer from a depression resulting in lack of community or fulfilling relationships, and have poorer social skills because of so much time spent around a computer screen. Many of them also seem to reject the idea of a work-a-day lifestyle because of an itch...the itch to do something and be part of something bigger and more fulfilling.

What does poetry have anything to do with any of this, you might be wondering. Quite a bit more than one might think at first glance. Let us first clarify what we are talking about when we mean poetry. When talking about poetry here, we do not mean a lone person writing pages and pages of verse that they hide away in a filing cabinet or a computer folder for years--although there can certainly be reward in that. We are talking about a person being part of one of the many emerging and growing poetry communities that have been popping up and roaring all over. The communities are notorious for hosting poetry readings and open-mics on a regular basis. Attending standard poetry open-mics on a regular basis has the potential to be a great remedy for many of the issues that the younger generations suffer from.

First and foremost: writing poetry itself is very therapeutic. The younger generations have more on their minds today than practically any generation (or possibly any generation) ever has before. With so much mental activity one of the biggest stress-related factors has to do with having too much going on and no way to get it out. So often younger people have so many things on their minds flowing around in a soup of complexity in their brains--and too often it stays there, adding up, becoming too much. Sitting down to write poetry helps to funnel one's thoughts into something coherent both for themselves and for other people--and it helps to get things off the chest/mind/etc.

Secondly: the need to be heard in a world where no one listens. Everyone at an open-mic gets their 3 minutes. For those 3 minutes, everyone respects you, everyone listens, and everyone
cares. In addition--everyone who gets 3 minutes has to give the same level of respect for everyone else for their 3 minutes. It goes both ways, and helps to teach respect.

Third: The ability to be social and share. Reading poetry in front of an audience establishes confidence, and in some cases gives the people listening a chance to get to know a little bit about the reader. In a world where social skills are declining, the ability to be in front of a live audience is quite a blessing because the reader knows that everyone is listening--the floor is on them, and they can use the time to talk about some of the many things that have been on their mind by using poetry as a proxy. Poetry readings in many ways have become the modern-day juntos that Ben Franklin was so enthusiastic about.

More importantly, in a world where the small village community where you knew your neighbors is quickly becoming a myth told in the storybooks, poetry and the community it creates becomes a breath of fresh air where friendships based on respect and listening and sharing are formed and last for years. And the best part? Poetry readings are low-maintenance. All one needs is a place, a podium, and people to share the poetry with. No worries about financial hardships and no worries about budget cuts. The good news about poetry? Poetry has lasted through thousands of years and it still exists in the world of smartphones, the internet, virtual reality and talking cars. And the even better news? It's not going anywhere anytime soon.
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Enjoy These 2 FREE Gifts

    Poetry Prompt Journal
    30 Days of Poetry Prompts

    Picture
    The Poetry Chapbook Organizing Your First Book Of Poetry
    Picture

      Enter Email To Claim Both Free Books!

    Submit
    Picture

    Author

    The Official Blog Of Local Gems Poetry Press.
    Check back here for exciting tips from publishers, poetic news, interviews, prompts, tools for authors and more!

    Archives

    April 2021
    April 2020
    January 2020
    April 2019
    September 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    March 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    April 2015
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Anthology
    Art
    Local Gems Poem Of The Week
    NaPoWriMo
    Photography
    Poem
    Poetic Activism
    Poetic Power
    Poetry
    Prompt
    Retail Woes
    Songs Of Sandy

    RSS Feed

Copyright 2010-2016 by Local Gems Poetry Press