I just wanted to take few minutes here and bring a little attention to a (generally) more overlooked aspect of our little DA community: poetry.

*pauses while the eyes roll*

Okay, now that's out of the way. As a poet, I find myself frustrated at times on deviantart, because it seems that I'm in competition with all the photographers, painters, vector artists, traditional artists, and whatnot, to get my piddling stuff noticed. Well, it makes sense, the artist community IS more visually oriented, and I have no fault with that, but it does get frustrating at times to see all the daily deviations going to the visual guys, while about one writer or poet a week tends to get a nod.

So, I've decided to take a few minutes of your time and speak up for poetry. Now I realize that poetry seems to have developed a strange stigma over the years. Poets tend to be seen almost as the bastard children of the literary world. There's a tendency for us to be lumped into stereotypes: the overweight (or under, depends on your point of view) Goth kid penning heartrending missives to the love that ripped their soul out; the espresso-swilling coffee shop lurker who spouts “truth”, “ peace”, and/or “action now!”, all while trying to get someone to buy them another French roast because they themselves are too broke; or, as a certain E. Blackadder, Esq., might be heard to opine, “a bunch of drunken idiots wandering around in big shirts, trying to get laid.”

None of these could be more inaccurate. Well, maybe that last one might have a kernel of truth to it, but come on. Who doesn't love big shirts, right?

Oh, sure, we as poets have our fair share of these moments. I myself have been known to indulge in the odd (very odd) caffeine-fueled rant about the state of human affairs to a captive audience, i.e., the poor sap I've cornered and proceeded to browbeat until they coughed up some cashola for my French vanilla.

But the fact is, cats and kittens, we do what we do out of love. And I don't mean because we're trying to schmooze our way into a pretty girl's pants, even if there is the occasional ulterior motive. No, I mean we write poetry because we love the word. We live in awe of the power of a deft turn of phrase; our church is allusion, and metaphor and simile our deities. We work in language the same way a painter works in oils; we create with words what a digital artist does in Paintshop.

A picture is worth a thousand words, true. But a poet can summon emotion with just one stanza, just one verse, or just one word. It is through the power of language that we share a common bond, and therein lies the poet's medium. That connection may come through personal experience, or through cultural ideals, but is there regardless. And it is the poet's gift to tap into that connection that allows us to express ourselves through the written (and spoken) word.

Don't believe me? I figured I might have to prove the point a little, so I thought up a little list of ten words. Each of these words can be found just about anywhere on DA, and each one has a certain emotional attachment to it, whether it's negative or positive. I just want to make it clear that I'm illustrating a point, and not trying to be inflammatory. But, if anything on the list offends, just remember: you've had an emotional reaction, and I just proved my point.
1.smile
2.cancer
3.pregnant
4.nigger
5.dance
6.gun
7.fuck
8.love
9.boob
10.Autumn

(For the record, I'm not a fan of number four. Chris Rock or Richard Pryor using it to great comedic effect notwithstanding, I personally feel that racial slurs belong firmly in the realm of the small penis.)

Now, based on that list, if I were to write a poem about someone suffering from cancer, and submits a picture of her grandmother who recently passed away after a long struggle with cancer, is one necessarily more valid than the other? No. The picture, being visual, has a more immediate impact, to be sure, as you can take in the picture with a glance, but it takes a moment to read through the poem. However, the emotional impact in both is valid. For those who are going through a similar struggle, or have family members that are, the emotion in both is there, it's visceral, it doesn't matter what the medium is. Both forms convey the same message. The same could be said for a poem about slow dancing with your girlfriend versus a painting of a couple pressed close together on a dance floor, or a sonnet dedicated to getting your swerve on as opposed to a render of a couple mid-coitus. The impact is there in either form.

I think, perhaps, that part of the problem with poetry taking a back seat to the visual arts is a cultural sign of the times. The world moves fast, and we have to run to keep up with it. It's easier to take one minute to take in a drawing than it is to take five minutes to read a poem. Nothing we can do about that. But it would seem to me a shame to invalidate an art form that has existed for thousands of years just because your pal sent you a picture on your iPhone.

Poetry has been with us since the invention of language, and as long as we still use language, poetry isn't going to go away. It may be overlooked as a novelty in favor of the plastic arts; it may go underground, hiding in the smoky back corners of coffeeshops and bookstores; but poetry will always be with us. And we, as poets, will be there, spreading the word in the finest tradition of Byron, Wordsworth, Whitman, and Thomas.

Now, for the poets on DA who are looking for a way to get a little more exposure, there are some excellent clubs to check out: , , , , and . Go look 'em up, and join in on the action. Let's start getting our voices heard.

Oh, and also for the record: for those of you who had a cheap laugh at number nine on the list, let me remind you that Webster's Dictionary also defines “boob” to mean “a stupid, awkward person: simpleton: boor, Philistine: goof.” Don't believe me? Look it up.

Peace and a bottle of hair grease!
Crowhesghost