At a time that has become significant in a way not anticipated, the question of whether poetry can make a difference, and if so, how, seems difficult to answer.
But really, the question is not new. There have always been significant moments. Sometimes they are written on the public stage, and sometimes they are performed only for an audience of one or just a few. To those who are involved, the significance is not less.
I urge you to listen to our former poet laureate, Tracy K. Smith, reading the poem by Hanif Abdurraqib “How Can Black People Write About Flowers at a Time Like This,” posted recently on her daily podcast “The Slowdown.” It’s a short podcast, about 5 minutes, and well worth the time invested.
Then tell me if you think poetry has no place anymore.
If you’d like to hear more poetry, Tracy K. smith’s The Slowdown is a daily podcast, always less than ten minutes, and you can subscribe to it wherever you get your podcast feed. There are 400+ episodes on the backlist to take a look at if you want to get a feel for the programming she provides.
Also by Tracy K. Smith and one of my favorite poetry volumes: Life on Mars. Which was a Pulitzer winner, btw.
[…] I’ve been “saving up” poems because with the coronavirus…and then everything since…it never felt the right time to publish. But all log jams eventually break free. Is this a bad time to publish poems? Is there ever a right time? Probably the right time can only be known in retrospect. Like timing purchases in the stock market, putting out poetry is an inexact science. Perhaps it’s better to just get out there and act? More considerations on this topic here—see also my post regarding a recent Tracy K. Smith podcast. […]