On poetry

Thinking about Poetry, can poetry be justified? That is, is it ever possible to sell poetry across in the utilitarian world? When the world is becoming more and more utilitarian, when even the field of spirituality begins to justify itself by the tangible and intangible benefits that may accrue to the votary and subscriber, what place will be there for poetry? You can say, 'poetry is useful in this way, poetry is applied here towards this purpose, poetry is effective towards achieving this end' and so on. But if you think deeply and truly about poetry, I think poetry is 'useless' in a utilitarian or pragmatic context. Poetry is not a commodity and can never be made into one. No packaging is possible with regard to poetry. Poetry can never be made into a saleable product. That is anthropologically, sociologically, economics-wise, commercially poetry can be never viable. In the name of poetry much sale can happen, much attention trading can be carried on, but in the true spirit, poetry is of no use in the daily, domestic, market world of values and goods that cater to tangible or distant uses. A poet, worth the name, always realises this and never forgets. You cannot take poetry to the people but only the human beings must choose to come to poetry, in whomsoever the sensibility awakens, perhaps when an individual soul becomes tradeless.
Srirangam Mohanarangan
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