Marjorie Perloff: genius and contrary, as always.
Michelle Obama begins by explaining her own interest in poetry:
I was a budding writer. Elizabeth [Alexander] doesn’t know this… but when I was young, I was a passionate creative writer and sort of a poet. That’s how I would release myself. Whenever I was struggling in school or didn’t want to go outside and deal with the nonsense of the neighborhood, I would write and write and write.
So this workshop and celebrating you all is important to me because I think it was my writing that sort of prepared me for so much of what I’ve had to do in my life as an adult.
There it is again: the theme of poetry as preparation for a useful life, a serious life. Poetry as ‘release’, as escape from the daily struggle and ‘nonsense of the neighborhood’. ‘And when you write poetry,’ the First Lady continues, ‘you’re not just expressing yourself. You’re also connecting to people… Think about how you feel when you read a poem that really speaks to you, one that perfectly expresses what you’re thinking and feeling. When you read that, you feel understood, right? I know I do. You feel less alone. I know I do. You realize despite all our differences, there are so many human experiences and emotions that we share.’
And so on. The uplift theme continues for a few more minutes, honouring poetry as expression, connection, communication - and escape from the drudgery of daily life. Finding your authentic voice, tapping into your unique and truest feelings: this is the poet’s task. And Michelle Obama concludes by announcing, ‘I’m going to sit for the first session and hear a little bit, but we’ll probably get up while you keep going.’ The reference is to her need to leave before long, together with her special guest, Mrs Margarita Zavala, the First Lady of Mexico. These First Ladies have important things to do!
Poetry, we surmise from these introductory remarks, is essentially a teenagers’ pastime. Writing and reading it can help our young people stay off the streets and express their better selves. But such self-expression, friends, has its limits: when we grow up, we must turn from poetry to things that matter - real things!
Read on for her assessment of how we (as poets, readers, and critics) can counter this attitude, and for her shots at Billy Collins.
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