Poet's Workshop

photo by Gerry Williams

Poet's Workshop Poetry And The Politics of War by Terrie Leigh Relf ©2003 All rights reserved

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

While surfing the net, I came across victorianweb.org. In one of the sections, there is a passage from George Lakoff’s and Mark Johnson's Metaphors We Live By, where Plato’s views toward poetry are discussed. I found it particularly ironic, given that the western world was inspired, in part, by Greco-Roman principles. They state:

"Plato viewed poetry and rhetoric with suspicion and banned poetry from his utopian Republic because it gives no truth of its own, stirs up the emotions, and thereby blinds mankind to the real truth."
(189-90; available at:
http://www.victorianweb.org/cpace/theory/seidel/Plato+Metaphor.html)

I wonder what Plato would say in response to the wave of anti-war poetry readings, protests, e-mail lists, websites, and anthologies? It seems the White House, and Laura Bush in particular, follow Plato’s credo……

Most of the writers’ and poets’ lists I’m on have had some lively dialogue, and have shared quite a few poems, on the seemingly imminent war with Iraq (just as they did with the incidents surrounding 9/11). Sam Hamill’s call for "statements of conscience" and poetry appeared on more than one.

Hamill, as you know, was invited to the February 12, 2003, White House Symposium on "Poetry and the American Voice". It's really no surprise that it was canceled because Mrs. Bush (according to a variety of articles with links posted below) was afraid that it might encourage anti-war sentiments.

The poetry goes on—and so does commentary on the responsibility of poets to address this situation.

Why is it their responsibility?

Are they the voice of the voiceless? Urban shaman who look into the body, mind, and spirit of a people in order to restore balance?

Is there a point at which a poet enters "dangerous territory"? Is it their purpose, or mission, to do so? How do they know when they’ve "crossed the line"? Or is there ever a "too far" when it comes to expressing "the voice of the people" to their leaders?

Poetry is writing, and as such, has multiple purposes. No doubt you’ve all heard the three-form litany of "to inform, to persuade, and to entertain". Some poems arouse passion and aggression; others may point to ignorance. Whatever a poem may invoke, it is a call to some sort of action, and as the saying goes: "Rhetoric is about action."

While many people may not equate poetry with rhetoric, there is a profound connection. But what sort of action can poets invoke?

I am no doubt one of (hopefully) millions of people—and not only poets—who wrote letters asking her to reconsider. To date, I have not received anything more than an automatic e-mail response. A local techie acquaintance chuckled during our conversation about this, and said he’d like to take a look at the e-mail return code as it may be routed through the FBI. I’ll just assume they’re taking names of poets who protest…

Poet Denise Dumars gave me permission to share her views here:

Apparently poets are important, at last! Pres. Bush canceled a poetry event because he was afraid it would turn into an anti-war rally. Obviously, we hold great power if even the pres. is afraid of us. Remember how a week ago he said he welcomed protests? Guess that doesn’t apply to anyone that someone might actually listen to. Gee, maybe we’ll get so powerful that someday some of us poets will be in jail as political prisoners as are many poets in countries with repressive regimes. I can’t wait!

While it also appears on the Hamill’s website, I decided to include one of my protest poems here as well:

I dedicate this poem to all the children who will lose their fathers, their mothers, and yes, their own, lives. No one wins a war. No one.

like snowflakes
the ashes that cling
to a baby’s soft cheek
it’s barely spring
but winter
will never end

Victor Vitanza said that "knowledge is meant to be exchanged." Once exchanged, this knowledge may lead to wisdom.

Please send your comments, questions, and of course, your poetry, to terrie@writersmonthly.com

Visit these sites for more information. Participate if you are so lead. It is still about choice…

"Poetry Makes Nothing Happen? Ask Laura Bush" by Katha Pollitt http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030224&s=pollitt

http://poetsagainstthewar.org/

100 POETS AGAINST THE WAR. Editor Todd Swift worked with Val Stevenson of Nthposition.com to compile this into a free PDF anthology:
http://www.nthposition.com/

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment01/

Elbert Pruitt got out his camera on February 12, 2003, in Houston, Texas, for a PAW (Poets Against the War) event. He graciously allowed me to link to his photo gallery: http://www.wordmachine1.com/PAWslideshow2.html

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