Many think that poetry has died out, that it serves no purpose anymore. This is not entirely correct.

While it is entirely possible to argue that being a poet is not a viable job anymore, that does not make the art of poetry obsolete. Instead of being poets, today we have music artists. Any song a person listens to has a beat, or rhythm. Rhythm is a distinct thing used when creating both music and poetry.

Reading a poem without a rhythm would be like reading any other literature. Without a beat to follow, a poem is only words that sound similar. Can you imagine a song without a solid beat? A song where the artist is singing at varying speeds and there is no “flow”,  most would agree that it would not be a very good song. 

Music and poetry are connected, but what is the importance of music? According to ninth grader Chloe Thorpe, listening to music, as well as reading poetry, is much deeper than enjoyment for her. 

“I think the importance of both is connecting with people. Music can be used to protest, to connect, to spread awareness. Connecting can be more than just artist to listener as well, sharing music taste can build strong relationships between listeners too.”

Poetry is not only relevant through music though, it can also be seen through affirmations or common sayings. A common poetic saying is “Carpe diem” or “seize the day”. Some might say this to motivate themselves to accomplish a big goal, some may say it just to get through the day. 

Frau Ronald, LD’s Latin teacher, has a favorite saying. “Perfer et obdura, dolor hic tibi proderit olim!” 

The saying means “Be patient and tough, someday this pain will be useful to you!” Frau Ronald says she likes it so much because it reminds her of Latin, it is hard but your hard work will pay off.

Saying poetry has died is almost equivalent to saying artistry has died. Being an artist is still a profession, it has simply just evolved. Instead of painting a portrait one may become a tattoo artist or a children’s book illustrator. Instead of becoming a poet, people may write books or songs, some even do just write poetry. 

Overall, poetry is not inherently boring or irrelevant, it is a part of most of our daily lives, and should not be known as an extinct form of expression.