Dear Editor,
Joseph Epstein's article was a gem. Poetry is not about money or prizes. Poetry is exquisitely personal, a desire driven by powerful energy to nurture, inform, or impress. Are we, in this fast technological age, so short of character that we cannot produce "true" poetry? Are we turning more and more to "professional" poets who lack the dedication necessary to place their work above common taste? Great sighs of relief may be heard as the search for a Golden Age of poetry begins. I thank you, Poetry magazine and The Poetry Foundation.
Joseph Epstein's article was a gem. Poetry is not about money or prizes. Poetry is exquisitely personal, a desire driven by powerful energy to nurture, inform, or impress. Are we, in this fast technological age, so short of character that we cannot produce "true" poetry? Are we turning more and more to "professional" poets who lack the dedication necessary to place their work above common taste? Great sighs of relief may be heard as the search for a Golden Age of poetry begins. I thank you, Poetry magazine and The Poetry Foundation.
Medford, Oregon
Originally Published: October 30, 2005
Letter to the Editor