Modern Poets

I haven't always been a fan of poetry, and for many years, I didn't see the appeal in either reading or writing poetry. Mostly because I didn't understand, and partly because my scepticism led me to thinking that the non-fiction side of arts was a pretentious con. I would see paintings and arrangements that made no sense to me, and I would wonder if there really was any meaning behind the work, or whether the artist merely threw colours at a canvas, letting the audience choose the meaning.


When a piece of art is released to the world, the artist has a message or a story to tell. It means something, as intended by the creator of said art work. When the audience admires the work, because the meaning behind the piece has not been explained, the audience gives the work a meaning, by analysing and studying the piece. This means the same work of art can in fact be interpreted different ways, and can invoke conflicting emotions in different members of the audience.



I had the wonderful privilege of attending an Arts By Offenders exhibit, hosted by the Koestler Awards at Southbank in London a few years back. One of the pieces, was an A5 piece of paper with a formula on it.

Z + Y = X

x = horse in formaldehyde

y = a gullible idiot 

z = lots of money

It was sold for around £50, and I can only imagine the convict sitting in his cell, chuckling to himself.

Though it was somewhat of a satirical art piece, in my opinion it was more valid than some works I've seen over the years. First of all it had a clear meaning and message from the artist. There was something of his/her personality that shone through this piece vividly, a kind of narcissistic personality with a disdain for pretentious art, a sceptical, even suspicious mind. Secondly, it clearly struck a chord with the buyer. Perhaps the wit of the piece impressed an art lover, or perhaps the buyer agreed with the message it contained.




Getting back to poetry, it's similar to visual art in the sense that it requires a certain level of decoding or analysing. So I've always found rap an interesting creative art. The way an mc or rapper (I don't know the difference) collates words into an aural art piece takes skill, creativity and a seasoned vocabulary. Having the confidence to shorten, lengthen or even amalgamate words is also a must. The content within rap tends to be much darker than other forms of poetry, and the contemporary issues speak to a wide range or audiences. NWA spread the bitter tune of police brutality throughout America. Immortal Technique acknowledged worldwide struggle from an urban angle. Eminem has powerful poetic lyrics up there with the greats.

So I'll say it, there are rappers out there who are modern poets, worthy of the same respect as the likes of Whitman, Poe and Browning.

Anyway, in true traditional rant style I've wandered from one point to the next, so I'll end by mentioning one of the rising stars of modern rap. Head over to my poetry page for a listen (because he is a poet), or click the link below.

Spit-E-Zen