Poetry & History

Poetry and history are closely intertwined. The popularized literature of a time embodies an era. Poetic movements can be used to define our history and the people. Poetry is an outlet for us to express both our discontent with our lives and the pleasures we take in it, which can reveal the emotions and feelings behind an entire era. The Beat Generation was known for expressing the dissatisfaction many were feeling in the World War II era.

Poems have also been a way for people to challenge ideas and those in power. Poems like Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes and If We Must Die by Claude McKay are politically charged poems assessing society and what is wrong with the world we live in. Poems that challenge authority can change history by bringing to light what needs to be fixed and making people more aware of the injustices that have taken place in our history.

Poetry can tell stories, as well. Some poems, such as The Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key or The Battle of Lexington by Sidney Lanier, depict historical events and describe what took place. Some poems are literary historical artifacts. Poems and literature in general are very closely linked with our history, revealing the values, beliefs, and emotions of a time period. Poems help tell our history.

Boxing the Poem

You should know:

a poem doesn't belong in a box.

You can only handle the paper.

That is not the poem.

Too much of life is stored in boxes,

anyway.