The Outerview Series: Part XXIII - Virtualism

       On Quora someone asked:

"How can we define the present era of poetry and literature?"

      In law enforcement, politics, and journalism there is an axiom:  "If you ain't got it on video it didn't happen."

      Poetry isn't dead because people don't write it.  (They don't, but many think they do.)

      Poetry isn't dead because people don't read it.  (They don't, but it's a form of speech, not writing.)

      Poetry isn't dead because people don't hear it.  (They do, but only after it is set to music.)

      Poetry without music is dead because no one sees it performed.  With a thousand TV channels and millions of online outlets, none speak in verse to the public.  About anything, really.

      Poetry academics and technicians are pessimistic about the prospects of verse but, for very different reasons, aren't doing anything to revive it.  Academics are interested in preserving, not reviving, literature.  Technicians, like coaches everywhere, want to work through their students, who can make it more relevant to newer generations.

      Academics disparage social media because it isn't intellectual.  To them, this makes sense:  Content regents can't get past the notion that how profound words are equates to how poetic they are.  The rest of us understand that this is a synecdochical error:  some poetry is profound, other poetry is humorous, informational, emotional, narrational, epic, etc.  As a mode of speech, poetry can be about anything.

      "So how do we revive it?"

      By speaking it.  Not singing it.  Not reading it.  Not reciting it.  Not even performing it.  Speak it either as you would informally to a friend or, more formally, as you would if reporting or commenting on the news.  Use as much poetic technique as possible without it clanging.

      "What is the idea?"

      Of our 240+ "Laws" of Poetry one is crucial here: 

     Feel free to take and use this meme.

       Find interesting material.  Write verse--either blank or imperfectly rhymed.  Make videos, either as performances or slide shows.  Use AI if you must.  Post these works to your blog or socials.  Above all:  Never, ever present it as poetry.  Remove the word from your vocabulary.  See what happens.