Progressive Poetry

Progressive poetry, alternatively known as postmodern poetry, is a leftist development within modern poetry that promotes racism, misandry, selfishness, ignorance, and the Seven Deadly Sins—particularly pride and anger. These practices are justified through the lenses of radical ideologies such as critical race theory, Marxism, queer theory, feminism, postcolonialism, the fat acceptance movement, and other liberal “isms.” As a body of writing that is often confused with real literature, it results in the harmful indoctrination of youth^[1] and ensures that the adults who read it will retain a low literacy level.^[2]

Practitioners of progressive poetry tend to write in free verse, adhering to a style of extreme minimalism characterized by a small lexicon and a narrow range of rhetorical devices that are unskillfully deployed when used. Due to this their work shares numerous features in common with poetry written by schoolchildren, with the difference that examples in the latter category are judged as superior by the more rigorous poetic standards that were dominant from the beginning of written history (as exemplified by the Epic of Gilgamesh) to the early 20th century.^[3]

Although in the past such “poetry” would be dismissed as doggerel, it is now widely praised by corrupt liberal institutions, venal politicians, and publications that were once venerable bastions of critical judgment.^[4] Despite the detrimental effect this poetry has on the human mind, body, and soul, it has grown to be synonymous with most verse being written in the early 21st century,^[5] which has resulted in fewer and fewer people reading poetry than ever before.^[6]

Characteristics of progressive poetry[edit]

Progressive poetry is the offspring of Modernism, a nihilistic reaction against Romantic and Victorian poetry that launched a revolution in bad grammar following the horrors of World War I.^[7] Postmodernism, developing out of this movement in turn, reacted against the impersonal objectivity and intellectual obscurity characterized by Modernism to focus on the relative position of the speaker. Poetry that adheres to this worldview is usually written from an autobiographical perspective and tends to take a confessional tone, focusing on the underlying (and often multiple overlapping) mental disorders from which the author suffers,^[8] and misattributing personal defects as problems of the larger society.^[9] Given its personal and political nature, writing “verse” of this kind from the perspectives of other individuals—particularly those of a different social background—is strongly discouraged and has resulted in charges of cultural appropriation. This has occurred even in cases in which a poet writes about his own mixed ancestry.^[10]

Adherents of this movement do not include such Modernist as William Butler Yeats, T.S. Eliot, who were conservative, as was W. H. Auden, eventually.^[11]

Progressive poets use simple language and avoid traditional forms, as this is correlated with equality in socioeconomic or cultural status. In the rare event that they use traditional forms, they again claim that this contributes to promoting social equality. Commenting on her sonnet “Slurret,” which is “comprised mostly of slurs used against black people,” progressive poet Ashley M. Jones told National Public Radio that use of rhyme and iambic pentameter represent the “trappings of the oppressor.” Although Jones herself uses rhyme and meter in her poem, this is not perceived as constituting an oppressive tactic, since it is not about “the fair maiden, or a rose, or any of the other non-political white subjects,” but is instead “attacking racism” by stringing together derogatory terms that have been obsolete since the 19th century. ^[12]

Education and status of progressive poets[edit]

Many of the adults who write progressive poems demonstrate a working vocabulary below the standards of an average middle-school student. Despite this, they often graduate from PhD programs, win prestigious literary awards (such as the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry),^[13] are appointed to the position of poet laureate,^[14] occupy positions in English departments in universities worldwide,^[15] and teach Creative Writing as a profession. As a consequence of the many honors they receive and their current dominance in the Western educational system, practitioners and teachers of progressive poetry play a much larger role in the widespread decline of aesthetics and morals than is generally acknowledged.^[16] In an effort to help their own work gain universal acceptance they are engaged in an ongoing attempt to erase the past, so as to not have to directly compete with poets who are far better than themselves. ^[17]

References[edit]

See also[edit]

Poetry

The Society of Classical Poets

External links[edit]

The Struggle for the Formalist Tradition, an essay by Joseph S. Salemi