Poetry's Social Function

I have always appreciated poetry, but thought of it as more of an entertainment than a necessity. To me, poetry is an art in the form of language, a byproduct of literature, a beautiful decoration. It was something that was knowledgeable and appealing, but not essential. However, on seeing T.S. Elliot’s assertion, the realization hit me. I had never thought deep enough to realize the importance of the poetry. Poetry, with its rhythms and rhymes, plays a crucial role in the preservation of language and culture. Poetry can be seen as the more sophisticated level of literature. It is also a representation of the culture. Therefore, without advancements in poetry, literature would slowly be drowned out. Without innovative poets, literature from a certain culture can eventually be lost in the midst of more dominant societies.

Poetry also has an impact on history. Poetry transforms and advances with time. From Shakespeare’s fourteen-line sonnet to Whalt Whitman’s free verse and to Ezra Pound’s Imagism, rules and subject matters of poetry has changed greatly. These changes in poetry reflect the ideas of the period. Poetry is more than literature. It is a mix of styles, ideas, history and culture presented in the form of art.