Worthwhile words?

The crowd filling Manchester's Albert Square stood in silence as Tony Walsh came to the microphone. It was 23 May 2017, the day after the Manchester Arena bombing, and people had gathered in their thousands to show sympathy and solidarityShowing support for others, particularly members of another group. with the victims. The other speakers had addressed them in proseWriting or speaking that is natural and does not follow a style such as poetry. , but Walsh brought something different: a poem.

"This is the place," he began, "in the North West of England...we make you feel welcome and we make summat happen, we can't seem to help it..."

When he had finished, the onlookers burst into wild applause. A local newspaper called his poem "the perfect symbol of the pride, passion and defiance of Manchester's people".¹

Thirty-five years ago UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. It aims to promote international cooperation in the arts, education, science and culture. established 21 March as World Poetry Day. Poetry, it claims, "speaks to our common humanity and shared values" and is "a powerful catalystA substance able to increase the rate of a chemical reaction without itself being consumed or changed by the reacting chemicals.  for dialogue and peace".

According to publishers this is a boom time, with poets earning more than ever before. Rupi Kaur has earned £5.1m since her book milk & honey established the craze for Instapoetrya style of written poetry that emerged after the advent of social media, especially on Instagram in 2018.²

People who dismiss poetry sometimes quote WH AudenA British-American poet, born in 1907. 's words: "poetry makes nothing happen." But US poet Don Share argues on the Poetry Foundation website that there is more to this than meets the eye. Auden is actually saying that poetry can take something apparently irrelevant ("nothing") and give it meaning.

Here are some of the things poetry makes happen:

Memory magic Because poetry is designed to be memorable, it is something you can carry in your head and turn to in times of crisis or boredom.

Sealing feelings Whatever you feel, think or wonder about most intensely, poetry expresses and captures it beautifully and memorably.

Chronicling culture Poets from the past help us to understand other ages and how our culture has developed.

Communicating consolation Poems show us that other people have faced the same situations and felt the same as we do.

Concentrated inspiration Poetry identifies the essence of things, reminding us of what really matters.   

Community unity Poetry can bring people together, as it did in Manchester, marking important occasions, offering inspiration and being a call to action.

The poet David Biespiel sums poetry up by calling it "the song of song, the language of language, the utterance of utterance and the spirit of spirit".

Does poetry matter?

Yes: It is the most intense of all art forms and captures the essence of life itself. Nothing else can fuse thought and feeling so beautifully and remind us so effectively what it is to be human.  

No: The things that make the world go round are power, politics and money. Poetry is either an escape or a luxury for people who do not want to get involved in the nitty gritty of real life.

Or... It depends what you mean by poetry. According to publisher Neil Astley "The literary value of many of these Insta poets is zero. This boom in their sales is about stuff pretending to be poetry."