Always Be A Poet, Even In Prose

“If we must die let it not be like hogs Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot, While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, Making their mock at our accursed lot. If we must die oh, let us nobly die.” Claude McKay. Poetry is a form of literature that often celebrates abstraction and the beauty of words. Poetry is often used as a means of defiance against injustices. Poets often use a myriad of figures of speech to add colour and meaning to their poems. World Poetry Day is held each year on March 21 to celebrate “the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind.” The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) first adopted March 21 as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999. According to UNESCO, poetry is practiced throughout history; poetry includes various forms of language, expressions and signification. It is often accompanied by music (dub poetry) and performed during special occasions. World Poetry Day celebrates one of humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguistic expressions. Poetry continues to bring people together across geographical borders and is found in countless forms throughout the world. The theme for World Poetry Day is “Always be a poet, even in prose.” A poet is one who expresses their ideas in their words and expressions. Poetry is always rich with emotions, ideas, and thoughts. As far as I can recall my introduction to poetry began in grade 4 at St. Jude’s Primary. I vividly remember my grade 4 class teacher Miss Seivwright. Miss Seivwright was short and plump. She was stern but likeable. Unlike some teachers, we were not afraid to approach Miss Seivwright. As students we had to recite Nature by H.D. Carberry each afternoon after lunch. Those of us who did not know the words of Nature would have an intimate encounter with Miss Seivwright’s belt. In those days corporal punishment was seen as a necessary evil throughout the education system. Yes, students had rights; however, the right to be flogged outweighed all other rights.

Sonnet The sonnet is a type of poem that has been a part of the literary repertoire since the thirteenth century. Sonnets can communicate a sundry of details contained within a single thought, mood, or feeling, typically culminating in the last lines. For example: “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” This famed opening of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Sonnet 43” resonates as perhaps the most famous single line of sonnet poetry. A sonnet (pronounced son-it) is a fourteen line poem with a fixed rhyme scheme. A rhyme scheme is the rhyming sequence or arrangement of sounds at the end of each line of poetry. It is typically represented by using letters to demonstrate which lines rhyme with which. For example: Roses are red—A Violets are blue—B Sugar is sweet—C And so are you—B The word “sonnet” stems from the Italian word “sonetto,” which itself derives from “suono” (meaning “a sound”). The sonnet form was developed by Italian poet Giacomo da Lentini in the early thirteenth century. Many Italians of the time period wrote sonnets, including Michelangelo and Dante Alighieri. However, the most famous Renaissance Italian poet of sonnets was Petrarch. As such, Italian Renaissance sonnets are typically called “Petrarchan sonnets.” The format created by Giacomo da Lentini and perfected by Petrarch was adapted by the English poets of the Elizabethan age. These poets included Elizabeth Barrett Browning, John Donne, and the master of the English sonnet, William Shakespeare. So synonymous is Shakespeare with the sonnet format that English sonnets are frequently referred to as “Shakespearean sonnets.” Often, sonnets use iambic pentameter: five sets of unstressed syllables followed by stressed syllables for a ten-syllable line. The word sonnet is derived from the Old Occitan phrase sonet meaning “little song.” Over time, the sonnet form has evolved. “If We Must Die” is a Shakespearean sonnet written by the Jamaican poet Claude McKay in 1919. It is a poem of political resistance: it calls for oppressed people to resist their oppressors, violently and bravely even if they die in the struggle. Though the poem has most often been read as a call to resist anti-Black racism, it does not limit its call for resistance to a specific kind of oppression. As a result, it has served as an inspiration to a wide variety of oppressed people around the globe as they fight for their rights and freedom. Poetry and Politics There is a long and interesting association between politicians and poetry. There are a few select leaders throughout history who have risen to the rank of true literary figures. Vaclav Havel was a successful playwright and essayist whose outspoken writings in opposition to communism contributed to the fall of the Berlin Wall in the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Václav Havel was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1936 to a wealthy, intellectual family that was active in culture and politics. Havel is widely considered as Czechoslovakia’s leading playwright, Havel wrote more than 20 plays and many works of nonfiction in his literary career. The Czech playwright Vaclav Havel wrote the poem, “It is I Who Must Begin” during the activist protests and uprisings that toppled communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989. Havel was the first democratically elected president of Czechoslovakia 1989-1992 and the first president of the new Czech Republic 1993-2003. It is I who must begin. Once I begin, once I try – here and now, right where I am, not excusing myself by saying things would be easier elsewhere, without grand speeches and ostentatious gestures, but all the more persistently –to live in harmony with the “voice of Being,” as I understand it within myself –as soon as I begin that, I suddenly discover, to my surprise, that I am neither the only one, nor the first, nor the most important one to have set out upon that road. Whether all is really lost or not depends entirely on whether or not I am lost. Importance of Poetry As a key area of literature that children are introduced to in school, poetry is important for a number of reasons. Reading poetry teaches children how to express their emotions and put into words how they feel. It also introduces children to new vocabulary and rhythms, as poetry is often rich with interesting and varied language and poetic devices. Poetry improves children’s creative thinking and problem-solving skills as it requires children to think and interpret what they have read, and often it will take reading a poem several times to truly understand its meaning. Learning to recite poetry is a great way to improve children’s memory and help them remember new words and phrases. Like other forms of literature, poetry allows children to see the world from new perspectives and learn more about other parts of the world. Benjamin Zephaniah, for example is a celebrated British poet, who uses his poetry to raise awareness for social issues and fight social injustice. He’s written poetry for both adults and children and his first collection of children’s poetry was called “Talking Turkeys”. Poetry can be viewed as therapeutic. It can be very relaxing to slip away occasionally to some quiet area and immerse yourself in poetry. Boys tend to shy away from poetry. Males who display a liking for poetry are viewed as lesser than. Poetry is not viewed in today’s world as masculine. In our Western civilization the construction of masculinity and manhood is grounded in a more rugged literary engagement. It would be very challenging especially in Jamaica to earn a livable wage as a poet. Most parents would discourage their children or dampen any early inclinations concerning a poetic journey. The international community was given a dose of hope when Amanda Gorman, the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate recited one of her poems “The Hill We Climb” at the 2021 presidential inauguration for Joe Biden. Gorman is only one of only a handful of poets, including Robert Frost and Maya Angelou, to recite a poem at a U.S. presidential inauguration. She immediately captivated the audience with her poise and her powerful message. The power of poetry was on full display at the presidential inauguration. Many of us felt as if we too were in attendance in Washington, DC. Gorman through her poetry rallied and called upon the audience to look for inspiration within oneself: For there is always light, If only we’re brave enough to see it, If only we’re brave enough to be it. Celebrate Poetry Although Jamaica has a poet laureate in Olive Senior it appears that poetry is slowing dying, especially in the education system. Olive Senior is one of Caribbean literature’s leading feminist voices. Her works, though written in English, remain heavily influenced by the region’s patois, and draw heavily upon its oral storytelling traditions. Olive Senior is an award-winning Jamaican poet, novelist, short story and non-fiction writer based in Toronto. She spent her formative years in Trelawny. There is a poet in each of us. Poetry is all around us. There are many creative ways to observe World Poetry Day. What about inviting some of your literary friends for a night of fun and rhymes? Perhaps you can turn whatever space you have available into an area for poetry reading. Friends can read one of their own works or one of their favorites from another author. Teachers should take time out to celebrate poetry. Additionally, poetry competitions and readings can be organized as avenues for new and emerging poets to showcase their talents. There are also online spaces on various social media platforms to explore poetry. On this World Poetry Day be creative and innovative regarding the observance of this special day. Happy World Poetry Day. In the words of Percy Bysshe Shelley, poetry lifts the veil from the hidden beauty of the world, and makes familiar objects be as if they were not familiar. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #WorldPoetryDay