The Importance Of Poetry In Re-telling Of History: We Real Cool And Still I Rise

Poetry has been able to withstand the tests of time. You can find examples of poetry throughout history, going back to works like The Odyssey by Homer. Poetry has existed in one form or another as long as language has existed. Recently, you hear that poetry is dying. In reality, poetry is thriving. More people are identifying as poets, and more poetry is being written. Poetry is the spoken or written art of rhythmical writing that exists to please the reader with new, elevated thoughts. Poetry has been portrayed in many forms, including free verse, sonnet, limerick, haiku, and couplet. There is an abundance of people reading poetry in recent times, as poetry has recently become a trend with the release of books like Milk and Honey, The Sun and her Flowers, and The Princess Saves Herself in This One.“‘Milk and Honey’ has sold 2.5 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 25 languages. Over the last two years, it has spent 77 weeks on The New York Times Trade Paperback Best-Seller List,” (Mzezewa). Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur has sold millions of copies as of October 2017, and that number has only gone up since. With the wide success of Kaur’s first book, she released The Sun and Her Flowers, also becoming a massive hit. Poetry can be seen abundantly on many forms of social media, including Tumblr, Instagram and Wattpad. As of April 30, 2018, there are 19,774,774 posts with the “#poetry” attached to it. Young poets take to these platforms to share their work with the world, or whoever is willing to listen. It can be seen throughout history in poems like “We Real Cool”, “Still I Rise”, and the work of Rupi Kaur that the world’s problems have a direct effect on the poetry produced because it can be seen as a coping method for many people as they write about how they feel.

When people write poetry, they write to convey ideas topical to when they were written. If a problem does not strike a nerve with the author or their greater community, it is not likely that they will write and speak up on the topic. Racism, equality, grief, anger, defiance, and love are all universal topics that can be seen throughout both history and throughout poetry. When things are wrong in the world, people will write about it. People write to express their feelings, and in doing so, they commonly will express the wrongdoings of the world itself. All literature is there to influence the readers in one way or another, whether it is shown directly or subconsciously. Famous poets like Edgar Allan Poe, Shakespeare, Walt Whitman, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Rupi Kaur have all written poetry based off of these common themes in relation to what was going on in their time.

If you want an early form of poetry portraying history, look to the poetic plays of William Shakespeare. He wrote many plays about kings of his time, and before and the lives they lived. He often made them over dramatic for entertainment purpose, taking creative liberties, but for the most part, his work was based off of the history he learned. He also wrote plays like Romeo and Juliet in which he shows the social constructs of families at war based in the same social class.“The Pool PlayersSeven at the Golden Shovel.We real cool. WeLeft school. WeLurk late. WeStrike straight. WeSing sin. WeThin gin. WeJazz June. WeDie soon.” (qtd. in, Brooks)Gwendolyn Brooks wrote We Real Cool in 1959. This is her most recognized piece of poetry. This poem shows the resistance of children and how that resistance can get them into a large amount of trouble later on in life. When the children chose to resist what they were supposed to do, it landed them in great misfortune after some time. It was the bad decisions they made younger in life that ultimately ended up in their undoing. Children of all times seek rebellion at one point or another. This poem can be seen as a metaphor for how defiance can land you in a lot of trouble. How you may think that something is better for you at the moment, but in reality, it really is not. There was also a lot of turmoil in the 1950’s with segregation being a huge problem, and with people rebelling against the law in order to make a stand.

“You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,You may trod me in the very dirtBut still, like dust, I’ll rise.

…Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don’t you take it awful hard

’Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines

Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,You may cut me with your eyes,You may kill me with your hatefulness,But still, like air, I’ll rise…Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,I am the dream and the hope of the slave.I riseI riseI rise.” (qtd. in Angelou)Maya Angelou wrote the poem “Still I Rise” in 1978. This poem is a direct response to what was going on in her life. Angelou was a woman of color, and although segregation was made illegal in 1954, it was still a problem that many people of color faced; people all over the United States were seeking equality. There will always be something that she can find that keep her strong. This piece was and still is extremely inspiring to those facing difficulties and being treated differently due to race or any other trait. It shows that no matter what adversities you face, you can rise above it.

“she was a rose

in the hand of those

who had no intention

of keeping her” (qtd. in Kaur)

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur is a bestselling poetry book released in 2014, but it gained a momentous amount of success in 2016. As previously stated, as of October 2017, it has sold over 2.5 million copies world wide. “Milk and Honey” is a phrase actually used to describe prosperity and abundance, and it is also used to describe all good things. When put in context, it shows that all good things must come to an end. The book explores an abusive relationship, through chapters titled: the hurting, the leaving, the breaking, and the healing. It shows that the relationship seemed good at first, but then it is revealed to be toxic and abusive. Rupi Kaur shows the four stages of the end of the relationship, but it has so many layers to it as it uses metaphors and many other literary devices to allow it to show someone truly finding themselves in the process. This topic is unfortunately a thing that happens to too many people, and this is what they have to go through. Her second book, The Sun and Her Flowers, is another story of love and relationships and the struggles people go through in them. This book also has become a major hit with poetry readers and fans of Kaur’s work.Poetry has become such a popular thing that people have even started modernizing poetry books with comedy. Books such as Milk and Vine and Vine and Tea try to imitate the style of Milk and Honey with its original drawings and format, but in place of actual poetry, it takes quotes from popular vines. Vine is an app which was extremely popular when it was released up until April of 2015 and then again in October of 2016. Creators would produce 7 second comedy videos to post. After it got shut down, Vine gained another burst of popularity. This book has virtually no meaning to it with the vines it uses, but it gained such a popularity that it ended up on the Amazon’s best seller list. This book was able to successfully combine two large trends of 2017, poetry books (specifically Milk and Honey) and Vines, to make this hit book. Popular media influencers have also taken their shot at poetry by writing and releasing poetry books. The book Adultolescence is a poetry book written by Gabbie Hanna, also known on Youtube as, The Gabbie Show. This book explores all of the ideas and struggles that go through Gabbie Hanna’s head. It also has a nice amount of comedic and shock value of it to keep the readers interested to hear her message.

When you take a look on social media like Tumblr and Wattpad, you will find an abundance of poetry. People young and old are thriving to create and read poetry. If you search “Poetry” on Tumblr, you could scroll on for hours reading poetry. Some of it may be quoted poetry from famous poets like Edgar Allan Poe, and some of it may be self-published poetry from a lost soul looking to express their feelings. If you search “Poetry” on Wattpad, you could read thousands of self-published poetry books; read and enjoyed by hundreds of thousands. People, time and time again, will look to these sources for a new outlook, some new information, or to be inspired by those who write and release poetry.

Overall, the importance of poetry is vast with its re-telling of history. It can be seen as a coping method. It has been and always will be a predominant way to express emotion. Whether it is a person from thousands of years ago writing about love and tragedy, or poets now writing about love, loss, inequality, and racism, which are all real things that humans today still deal with. It is poets like Rupi Kaur, Maya Angelou, William Shakespeare, and Gwendolyn Brooks that are able to show themes that are predominant in their time. It is poets like these that have the ability to spark conversation over the topic or topics being discussed. It is the problems with history that fuel their writing, and it will be problems with the world that will fuel future poets.