It is true that many poets were born out of necessity, from the trouble times they were living in. Poetry was then the only acceptable way to fight, because it could be less evident about what it really meant. It was often an indirect attack leaving the real target unaware, and so it was published when it should not have been. Yet, it was significant and meaningful in many ways.
I am surprised to discover that the concept of "Engaged Poetry" does not exist in English, in French it has its own entry on Wikipedia under "Poésie Engagée". Are there no engaged poets in America right now? Is it not time to correct this oversight? I bet they already exist, they just go unnoticed. It is time to dig them out, I'm sure they wrote interesting things lately, considering what is happening in the world.
Engaged poetry means a poet who puts his or her art to one cause. It invites the reader to think and to act about something important, be it philosophical or political. It is designed to bring some awareness about certain issues, in ways that ordinary poetry cannot.
You know, I wonder when was the last time you read some poetry, if you ever did. I know why it bores you to death, most poets are all about flowers and love, and perhaps peace if they were born in a certain decade. This article is about showing you that engaged political poetry can still be a powerful tool against whatever you are fighting for.
Here are a few extreme dark poems which might restore your faith that there are other mediums by which one can reach out, and poetry is one of them. You might wish to give it a try, it is highly therapeutic, because you can truly let it all out, and you might not need a psychoanalyst then to sort yourself out.
True, most engaged poets are mad and end up in an asylum. So be it, I am one of those, I cannot deny it. Here are 15 poems making a case for freedom. The first one is about democracy, the second one about globalisation. The rest is self explanatory. Get motivated! Get inspired! Poetry can be powerful!
The angel of destruction
I had a hard look at you. Once set free. You've got wings. You can fly. You can talk. You are as free as the air. I finally connected the dots. You must be an angel! I had a hard look at you. Such blinding colours! That white, it is so white! That black, it is so black! That no monitor could ever display. We just don't have the technology. I finally understand. You must be an angel! I had a hard look at you. You are so lovely. You are so lively. So much love you require. So much love you give. You bright up the whole area. You made it your own instantly. Took such an important place. You have absolutely no predator. You would eat anyone alive. You are that powerful. Nothing can kill you. You will live long past my death. Yet you were born yesterday. Yet you act like you own the world. I know now. You are an angel. I had a hard look at you. Why do you need to obliterate. Everything that you come across? Why is it that your only purpose in life. Is to shout at the top of your lungs. Alienate us all. Be so out of control. Jump everywhere. Shit on everything. Shit on me! And they call me a freak of nature. It makes sense. You are the angel of destruction. I had a hard look at you. I suppose. If no one can tell. If you are a man or a woman. You sure must feel. Only attracted to yourself. Who is this great looking angel? When I look in the mirror? Let's tear it down. Just like I abolished everything else around here. I get it. You are the angel of destruction! You will destroy us all. But you're such an angel. You are so attractive. So loveable. We let you do it. With a big smile on our face. Whilst everything around us. Crumbles to dust. With no predator whatsoever. You will annihilate us all. Just like this pretend democracy. The angel of destruction.
Nothing to fall back on
I have lost my identity. Everything I could have been about. My history, my culture. What I could have built. What I am. Nothing to fall back on. Is all there is. All there will ever be. Deep down, nothing else. But a lost of everything. I have no meaning. I do not exist. What a lost for all nations. For anyone struggling to survive. With nothing to fall back on. No more traditions. No more teachings. But a vague memory. Of what might have been. With nothing to fall back on. Assimilation runs high. Everyone will speak that language. Everyone will live here. And make no mistake. The take over is absolute. The supremacy of something meaningless. Of no purpose. Has taken over my life. I can no longer go back. I am either something other or I am nothing. Worse. There is nothing for me back home. There never was. And so, what exactly. Would I fall back on? I am lost. As if I never existed. Living so independently. From everyone and everything. I might as well be dead. There is no turning back. There is nothing anymore. There is no more my nation. There is no more my culture. This is globalisation for you. With nothing to fall back on.
Message to the next humanity
My name is Mark Anthony. I am 10 years old. I live in Chislehurst in England. Everybody has fled the country except me. I ran away from the people running away. This message is for the next humanity. I am carving it on a gold tablet. Made from melted jewellery I found in many houses. My dad showed me how. I am hiding it deep within Chislehurst caves. In the hope it will be found in the future. I survived the nuclear bombs. It was the third world war within 100 years. Some people lived long enough to witness them all. Most of them did not survive the last one. I am not expecting to survive the flood. We managed to destroy the environment as well. But this had nothing to do with the wars, I think. I have about two weeks to live the radio says. We had bad leaders. They did nothing to stop the war. They did nothing to save the environment. My dad told me that it was because of the energy crisis. We had no more petrol. So we had to go to war. Against bad people who would not give it to us. Why would they not give it to us? I think petrol is also what destroyed the planet. So I'm not sure why we needed it for, I hope you will figure out the solution to this problem. My dad always said. That we would eventually discover. The theory of everything. And it would solve all our problems. We were not quick enough. There was a man called Einstein. But he died before figuring it out. He was the one who invented the bombs. So he must have been the most evil man ever. Maybe you can start there in your new world. We spent a lot of money in armies. It did not save us. My sister was always saying. That there never was a real democracy. I don't know what democracy means. You should find out though. I think it is important. Well, my humanity blew it. I hope that my message to you. Will give you a head start. You might wish to build spaceships. And go live somewhere else. It is the only way I can think of. For you to survive. We were so bright. We knew everything. We still managed to destroy ourselves. Not once, but twice. As if to make sure no one would survive. I wonder if you could do better. And sorry. I think we have pretty much used all the metals. And all the other resources. Hopefully by the time you will read this. It will be like a new planet. With plenty of trees. And new continents. If you wish to find any trace of us. I think it is better to dig. At the bottom of the oceans. Because this is where we used to live. Before the flood. Some people say the flood was caused by the Bible. The Bible was some book we had. I just know that it was also responsible for the wars. But my dad said it was the melting of the icebergs at the poles. You need to look into this, I'm not sure. Ice melts when your civilisation becomes too advanced. It seems simple, but it took us a long time to understand it. We could have saved ourselves apparently. We could have froze back the ice at the caps. But we didn't and I'm not sure why. Maybe you will. And don't forget. Find the theory of everything. Solve the energy problem. It could save you. And help you find a new planet. It is hard to get there. We never made it. Though we tried. I guess you would not be proud of us. Oh well. We tried our best. It was not enough. We had a nice life once. I think. My parents were never happy though. They suffered at work. My mom was saying that she was completely alienated. I'm not sure what she meant. I know it has nothing to do with aliens. You might wish to make sure. That people are not alienated at work. My mom refused to watch TV as well. She said it was the only way to remain peaceful. She would not read newspapers. It was all lies, she said. I don't know how long it will take you. To invent television and newspapers. But perhaps you should not watch TV. Or read newspapers. So maybe you should not invent them. Music used to calm my mom. So I guess you should invent compact discs. And re-invent a musician called Amadeus Mozart. My mom used to say. That it is the only thing we ever produced which is worth saving. The only genius we ever had. I wonder if my CDs will survive the destruction. I will join our collection with this tablet. I won't include the Mozart's CDs though. I hate classical music. CDs are made of lasers. I hope you will find a way to listen to them. We have no more use for them. Now you know what to do. You might survive. Please, do remember that. Mark Anthony was here... I did have a smashing time. Playing video games. From the day I was born. Now there is no more electricity. I don't understand why we didn't simply. Create a game universe to live in. I guess we were not as intelligent as we claimed to be. Let's see how better you will do. At solving your humanity's problems. No one would listen to me for a start. So no one will listen to you. It is not as easy as you think. Good luck, you will need it, and... Farewell!
We are no parrots!
I find it so funny. That you finally look into a mirror. And cannot even recognise. That this reflection. It is yourself. You are just like a parrot. A bird that seems highly intelligent. Who can talk. Especially repeat what he hears. And yet. Will never make any sense of what he hears. Could not even look into a mirror. And understand that this reflection. It is himself. Over and over again. All over again. No matter how many times. I show him the mirror. He will never understand. That this reflection. It is him and no one else. Hello! Hello! He will repeat. To this new comer unto the scene. And that newcomer. Is the perfect reflection of himself. As it is himself! Is it you? This reflection in the mirror? Can you recognise yourself? I got the feeling. That when you were listening to yourself. Watching yourself from afar. You could not recognise who that was. Can you look so bad? Can you be that bad? Is this me? Is this myself? Never would have I thought I was like that. And yet. This is me, this is you. This reflection in the mirror. It is ourselves. We can no longer deny it. We can no longer hide. We have reached that stage in our development. We should have reached that stage in our development. That we can recognise this reflection in the mirror. It is ourselves. Are we not more intelligent than parrots? Can't we look into a mirror and realise it is us? Can't we have our own opinions about things? Can't we decide where this world is going? You have opinions! You are not a parrot! Voice your opinions! No way should you hear something. And just repeat it endlessly. You are no parrot! You are not a weak mind. You can think for yourself. You can express an opinion. Come on! Tell us! What do you think? Forget everything you heard before! You are more intelligent than that! I don't want to hear what someone else said about it! What do you think? Tell me! Tell us! Don't you have an opinion for yourself? Can't you make up something all by yourself? Do you have to be a parrot? Come on! Break out! Break free! Express yourself! You do exist! You do exist independently from anyone else! There is no need to repeat what everyone else says. Take control over your life! So. Is this you? This reflection in the mirror? I sure hope not! As it looks nothing like you! I just hope you will realise this. And finally make up your own mind. And tell us your own opinions from deep down inside of you. I am no parrot. I know that. You are no parrot. Remember that. We are no parrots. And now let's find out who we truly are.
The last taste of freedom
I don't really expect you to understand. What the last taste of freedom is. You would first need to have experienced freedom. And you never did. No one has ever tasted freedom. Because you can only realise. What freedom is. The day you lose it. What most people don't understand. Is how easy it is to lose freedom. That it can happen on any day at any time. So fast, you will never know what you had. But then you will get into this reality. You will understand what freedom is. And from now on. Only in your mind will freedom ever exist. I don't expect you to understand. It is such a complicated thing. And yet such a basic thing. Freedom, this is all we are all about. I don't expect you to understand. I don't even understand why. Why such a concept can be so meaningless to you. Then again, you have never lived before. I do not have to worry though. You will one day understand that concept. You will one day only live for that concept. It will then only be in your mind, it will be your escape. The last taste of freedom. Is already past. No more will there ever be such an idea. But in our minds. I don't really expect you to understand. What the last taste of freedom is. You would first need to have experienced freedom. And you never did. But you are about to. And soon thereafter. It will be gone forever. Only if you let go, so don't.
In the U.S., lyricists, songwriters, and musicians have got the poetry that gets around. I know quite a few who are politically engaged. Take a listen to this:
I am hoping more people will post links to these unknown interesting engaged poets. I hope I will be forgiven to be mostly looking for poets without the music. There is a huge discrepancy between musicians and poets, though I admit that often the best poets are the ones who can turn their poetry into music. I admire that, because I cannot do it myself, I can only hope others will turn my poetry into music.
The difference is, talented musicians can benefit from huge marketing budgets and make millions, poets by definition have always been starving and probably will always be. There are almost no outlets in the mass media for poets, whilst music is everywhere, with dozens of television channels and most of the radio bandwidth. Poets remain unknown.
There was a time in France and in America when poetry was highly regarded as an art, and we had great celebrated poets. And the more freedom of speech is being restrained, I am hoping the more poetry might become fashionable again. So please, post your links!
Wow! You went for the US Presidency at 18 as an independent? The guts you must have, I am truly impressed. And thanks for the link, it is a great song, with great poetry.
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