I do agree that there is a general lack of zeal, if not appreciation, when it comes to poetry in the contemporary classroom. It gets tiring watching students, myself included, pulling out lazy readings of classical pieces of poetry, and the language barrier between Shakespearean and contemporary English seems almost insurmountable at times.
However, I think that some certain distinction needs to be drawn. There is a flip side to every movement, an underground people who take the traditional rules and augment them to create something beautiful. Hip-hop artists like Kanye are merely the head side of the coin called modern poetry. The Harlem Renaissance brought about greats like Ethridge Knight and Haryette Mullen. Fans of Def Poetry Jam will tell you that poetry is alive and well. Given the packed auditorium at Peeler a few weeks ago when poet Major Jackson gave a reading, I would caution against saying that poetry has been limited to Kanye and other mainstream hip-hop artists. Though hip-hop certainly reaches the widest audience, it pains me to think that the poetry is limited to what we hear on the radio.
I think that the points brought up by Ms. Westenfeld certainly are valid, but I hate to see something as beautiful as poetry pigeonholed in such a way. Certainly, the poetry of old has been replaced, but it has not been obscured. Hip-hop troubadours are merely the tip of the poetic iceberg. I encourage you to look up Rives, J. Ivy, Steve Connell, Gemineye, Black Ice, Oscar Brown Jr., or any other of the Def Poets and see that the underground is where it's at. While these poets may not be talking about the beauty of nature like the Romantics or riding on chrome rims like Dr. Dre, they address the issues of the day and do so in a way that affects those who hear their words.
Just give the flip side of poetry a chance. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Sincerely,
Stephen Shapiro, junior