On Poetry
Alexander S. Peak


  Purpose is
Subjective.  And
Thus, so is the purpose of
Poetry.

  The purpose of any
Given thing
Is determined by the
Owner of said
Given thing.  This
Purpose can be redefined by the
Owner thereof at any
Time the owner so chooses, or by
The next owner upon
Transfer.

  A table,
Thus, may be “for glasses” <i>or</i> “for asses,”
As the phrase goes,
Depending solely upon the
Intention of the
Owner of said
Table.

  Poetry is
Interesting.  It can have
Multiple subjective purposes
Concurrently.  This is because
Poetry cannot be truly owned like a
Given thing.  One cannot “own” what
Enters another person’s head, as there is no
Way to retrieve it without violating the natural
Rights of said
Other person.  The
Subjective purpose of the
Poetry can
Thus be defined invariably by its
Creator <i>or</i> its
Beholder.

  There are various
Purposes that a poem’s
Creator may subjectively define for his or her
Creation.
A poem may be written to
Entertain a child, perhaps a
Child who fancies the visual concept of a
Cow jumping over the Moon.
A poem may be written purely for the
Purpose of sounding æsthetically pleasing to the
Ears of its listeners, while
Having no meaning otherwise.  Poems
May even be authored to elicit a certain
Emotional response, or to
Explore and attempt to encapsulate an
Emotion.

  But can a poem be written to
Inform?  Indeed, it can, as the
Purpose of poetry is so intrinsically
Subjective.

  A poem may even be written to
Sound like
Prose.
The possibilities are quite literally
Endless, given the
Subjective nature of
Poetry.

  Nevertheless, a poem’s
Creator cannot force his or her
Subjective determination of his or her
Creation’s purpose onto its
Beholders—even if he or she
<i>Wishes</i> to!  Once again, this is because
Poetry’s purpose is inherently
Subjective.
Thus, whereas a poem’s
Creator may have intended his or her
Poetry to
Merely sound æsthetically pleasing to the
Ears of the listener, while
Having no meaning otherwise, the poems
May nevertheless elicit a certain
Emotional response in the
Beholder.


Authored 2008 by Alexander S. Peak