What's the Use of Poetry?

Hugo Wilhelm Kauffmann

What's the Use of Poetry?

quotes from an essay by Richard Le Gallienne (1866-1947)

"I am not saying that all poetry is for all readers."

"Life exacts practical reasons for the survival of all its forms of expression, and, unless poetry served some practical purpose of existence, it would long since have perished. It is because poetry has a practical work to do in the world that it continues, and will continue, to exist; because it is one of the motive forces of the universe, - life's motive meaning, one might almost say, - the nerve force of existence."

"There is no human interest desiring to be displayed in all its essential vividness that does not realize the value of a poetical expression."

"One has only to confront a "practical man" with the real thing to convince him that, without realizing it, he has cared a great deal about poetry all his life."

"If it be of no use to make men happy, to quicken in them the joy of life, to heighten their pleasures, to dry their tears, to bind up their wounds, if it be of no use to teach them wisdom, to open their eyes, to purify and direct their spirits, to gird them to fight, to brace them to endure, to teach them to be gentle, then, indeed, we may ask, "What's the use of poetry?" but while poetry can do all these things, I think it must be allowed by the most practical that it has a very important part to play in the work of the world.

"Human life, in the main, is thus unconsciously poetical, and moves to immortal measures of a mysterious spiritual music. It is this impassioned exaltation, this strange rhythm, this spiritual beauty, - "the finer spirit" of life, - which the poet seizes on and expresses, and therewith also that pathos which seems to inhere in all created things. We read him because he gives that value of life which we feel belongs to it, but for which we are unable to find the words ourselves."

"It is the business of the poet to be all the time thus recording, and recreating, life in all its manifestations, not only for those who already possess something of the poetic vision, yet lack the poetic utterance, but also for those who need to be awakened to the ideal meanings and issues of life."

"The mistake is in thinking that all poetry is for all readers. On the contrary, the realm of poetry is as wide as the world, for the very reason that each man may find there just what he needs, and leave the rest. The thing is to discover the poetry that was meant for us..."

"What is the use of poetry? It is just the whole use of living,  - - and let anyone who doubts it enter the garden for himself."