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jhameiaWoot! Poetry is a term commonly associated with the arrangement of words into verse form, a form sometimes so convoluted, many people deem it quite inaccessible and the general mass passes it up in favour of more aphoristic pursuits. The Oxford Dictionary defines the word "poem" as thus:
n. a literary composition that is given intensity by particular attention to diction (sometimes involving rhyme), rhythm and imagery.
Robert Frost once suggested poetry to be "the best words in the best order." He is quite possibly right, and I will use this definition to give the term "poetry" the ability to blanket all literature in general, which I believe is the spirit that Sir Philip Sidney means when he himself used the term in his Defense of Poesy. In his Defense, he points out the relevance and importance of poetry within his society, cutting through arguments using rhetoric (also another exercise in the arrangement of words). This indicates that poetry could be applied to almost any kind of literature that is meant to persuade, educate, or entertain. Sidney tackles three major arguments against poetry, each of which will be further explored and debunked in this essay. Sidney's ripostes will be applied to examples in contemporary culture. All this will argue that poetry is still present and remain valid, even within the spheres of contemporary culture.
"First, that there being many other more fruitful knowledges, a man might better spend his time in them than in this" (Sidney para. 58).
This is the first argument Sidney addresses, so it is fitting that this paper should begin with it. Poetry was, and still is, accused of being an activity for the frivolous, causing immorality through its lack of productivity. It is, as Irene Samuel paraphrases Plato, "a pander to the passions" (385) and since passion is the opposite of reason and the cause of strife, irrational action and thus suffering, poetry is indicted of the same. However, Sidney posits that poetry does, indeed, have a place within society at large; it is a form of consolation, providing comfort, and thought provocation, requiring skill. David Yezzi very eloquently points out, "Great poems provide solace of a particularly complex kind, offering the considerable balm afforded by the appreciation of a beautiful object and of the moral measuring of language" (Yezzi 19). Poetry has been used in therapy, where the consoled either read or write poetry. It is a cathartic process for many people that may simply require an outlet for their passion. Platonic fear of the passions that poetry expresses is rendered null when one realizes that once the passion is purged from the mental system through poetry, said mental system may find it easier to move on to more rational, productive thoughts which Platonists aim for.
Platonists should also approve of the skill required in poetry, as it has the possibility/potential/ability to delight the reader into becoming more receptive towards learning and thus, towards moral virtue (Deveraux 88). This skill is hardly frivolous, as it tries to express the truth that philosophers so often try to attain. Poetry that renders ideas into language must be attentive to the "music, rhythm, diction... and the connotative power of words" (Yezzi 21) if it intends to have any quality in its imitation of the poet's thought at all. The poet thus has the responsibility to express his thoughts as clearly as possible in such a way that the reader understand the coherency of the piece as a whole without being told directly, allowing for some brainwork. Neil Gaiman, authour, playwright and comic book scripter, is a good example, particular with his short story, the Case of the Four And Twenty Blackbirds and his Sandman comic series.
The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds is the archetypical detective story using characters from "canon" nursery rhymes. In this case, Little Jack Horner is the detective, approached by the "sister" of Humpty Dumpty to find out who pushed Humpty Dumpty off the wall. In the original rhymes, Little Jack Horner is a little boy who, while eating a pie, sticks his thumb in it, and Humpty Dumpty is an egg-man who falls off a wall and all the King's horses and men "couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again". Neil Gaiman also involves other nursery rhyme characters, such as Cock Robin, Dr. Forrester of Glouscester and the Queen from the rhyme Sing a Song of Sixpence. There are links between Little Jack Horner, who refers often to the "pie" that he sticks his thumb into, and the Sixpence song, where the four and twenty blackbirds burst out of the pie. Neil Gaiman uses these nursery rhymes, draws links between them and creates a detective story using the same clichéd format. While he takes some liberty with the details, he remains true to most of them. The only really noticeable change is that of the Sixpence song - instead of the maid whose nose is pecked off by the blackbirds, it is the Queen's. Gaiman then postulates that Humpty Dumpty, who came as an animal trainer to the town, was the one who set up the nose-pecking and took pictures of the result in order to blackmail the Queen (thus the reason for his death). Dr. Forrestor was the surgeon who performs plastic surgery on the Queen, causing his own death. These details brought together require skills in brainstorming, mind-stimulation and idea-connection. It is not an activity for the "frivolous" or the "immoral".
In the same vein, the comic Sandman, drawn in the late '80s and early '90s, draws on different mythologies and sometimes even creates its own, such as the pantheon of the "Endless": Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire, Despair, Destruction and Delirium (once Delight). Each of these Endless have their own functions towards universal life (not just human), but they also have their own personalities, principles and agendas. While it is not fair to say that the words of Gaiman could stand without the accompanying art for support, the philosophical points he makes through these "anthromorphic personifications" provoke thought among its readers, thus making it a highly acclaimed cult classic. For example, in issue #8: A Death in the Family, contained within Volume I, the reader, having followed Dream, the Sandman, on his quest to reclaim his tools of power after being entombed for sixty years, is introduced to his elder sister, Death. She is a positive person, finding amusement in movies like Mary Poppins, and cares deeply for her brother, who is depressed after his initial quest. To cheer him up, she lets him accompany her on her duties among humans, greeting people at their deaths and sending them to the Sunless Lands (an invention of Gaiman's, perhaps an adaptation of the Wiccan Summerlands). Through watching her perform her duties towards humanity, Dream re-discovers his will to enjoy his existence and tasks once more. In this way, Gaiman expresses the idea that people should enjoy the natural courses of life, and that it will have ups and downs. He does not directly preach to the audience, but the reader can draw this very moral message of acceptance from this story.
"Secondly, that it is the mother of lies" (Sidney para. 59).
Poetry, as merely an imitation and not the truth, was considered to nurture a mindset that is based on fiction - lies as it were, because fiction is based on imagination and invention, not on fact. Sidney replies that the poet never lies, because there is nothing to affirm. This is because the poet does not outright state that whatever is written is true, does not demand the reader believe what is written and takes for granted that the reader understands that whatever has been written was taken from imagination. Yet this mimesis in poetry asserts universal truths that all human beings with the power of reason should be able to relate to on some level, no matter whether the poem is based on truth or not (Samuel 388). This is a tradition that continues in contemporary culture, particularly over the radio.
First, one can look at poems - songs, specifically - which contain truth within the words. In 1996, the rapper Notorious B.I.G. was murdered in a shootout, caused by the East and West coasts rivalry between gangster factions that were expressed quite frequently by rappers and their fans. Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs had been the protégé of the Notorious B.I.G., and the latter's death had come as a hard hit on the younger rapper, who, although he had long established his own reputation, continued to look to BIG as a mentor and an elder brother. As a sign of commemoration and respect to the deceased rapper, Sean Combs collaborated with B.I.G.'s wife, Faith Evans, to produce, perform and record the single I'll Be Missing You. The depth of Sean Comb's respect can be heard within the lyrics, and B.I.G.'s name is even mentioned outright, dispelling any doubt as to who the song is dedicated to. The theme of mourning and loss of a loved one is a universal one, and Sean Combs expresses it through the lyrics of a song - through a kind of poetry. This disproves the idea that poetry is filled with lies, because obviously, I'll Be Missing You is not fiction, nor is it a lie in any way.
Contrast this with a song which is obviously fictional from the poet's standpoint, yet non-fictional as far as normal emotions go. ABBA, a pop-music group from the 70's and 80's, wrote many songs that were fictional, yet highly successful because the mass public could relate to the songs that contained universal themes across several cultures. Money Money Money, released in 1976, is about a typical woman who dreams of marrying a rich man. Its themes of money, its necessity in the current materialistic climate and the comfort that it brings are widespread in today's global economic culture. The song, an imitation of so many people's cries across the world, is fictional, but could hardly be called a lie by any means, because from the viewpoint of the common man, money is funny, in the rich man's world. It is not possible to dismiss this song as a lie or an untruth, nor is it possible to say that this song attempts to affirm any factual evidence. To brand poets as liars would therefore be an unfair judgment, as it not only undermines the universality of their poem, but also undermines the readers' intelligence by accusing them of the inability to differentiate between fiction and reality.
"Thirdly, that it is the mother of abuse, infecting us with many pestilent desires, with a siren's sweetness drawing the mind to the serpent's tail of sinful fancies - and herein especially comedies give the largest field to ear, as Chaucer saith; how, both in other nations and in ours, before poets did soften us, we were full of courage, given to martial exercises, the pillars of manlike liberty and not lulled asleep in shady idleness with poets' pastimes" (Sidney para. 60).
This argument is similar to the first argument: that poetry can stir the passions of its reader or listener, and tempts its audiences into immoral actions through these passions. Poetry has such a hold over its audience that it becomes dangerous to the government who assumes moral responsibility over its subjects. But whereas the answer to that argument has been its focus on its roles in consolation and thought provocation, there is another riposte to it: that poetry can inspire its audience to moral action by channeling the passion into temperance. Poetry does not need to directly instruct its audience to behave in a set way; it is enough to present a situation to the receptive mind that will judge for itself the actions and consequences involved (Yezzi 21). Through this exposure, the audience will be able to judge the type of reaction required for such a situation, as well as consider alternative solutions.
Take for example the song Hit 'Em up Style, by Blu Cantrell. It was released in 2001 with her debut album, So Blue, and has now sold up to fifty thousand copies. Hit 'Em Up Style is about a woman who has discovered her lover has been cheating on her. In retaliation, she takes his credit card and goes on a shopping spree with it, racking up a large debt for him to repay as she walks off with her new belongings and throws him out of her life. Throughout the song, Blu expresses the hurt and pain that she, as the narrator, is dealing with and relieves through her shopping trip. This song presents the situation of many women in the world - being cheated on - and a possible solution with dealing with it, even if it is spiteful. It is the sort of song which makes boyfriends think twice about cheating on their girlfriends and ex-girlfriends gloat in gratification at the idea of cheating boyfriends being made to suffer. Certainly, some people would be leery of this song as it seems to preach something that leads to a lot of legal problems, and no doubt that some women (and possibly men) have actually taken this route of revenge. Yet Blu Cantrell merely presents a consequence (bankruptcy) to an action (cheating) and a solution (revenge) to a situation (being cheated on). While she does directly advise her female audience on a method of revenge, there is an indirect advice to her male audience to judge their own decisions (Yezzi 21) before acting on them. The revenge of the young woman in this song could be considered emotional and irrational, but cheating is also an irrational, passionate act. If anything, these lyrics awaken the listeners to the possible ramifications of an action, as opposed to lulling them to indolence.
On a larger scale, contemporary culture of the 70's and 80's offer up David Bowie and his creation, the alien Ziggy Stardust. Ziggy Stardust is presented as the archetypal rock star, a "starman" starting out to bring a message of peace and love but as his fame rises, so do his excesses of sex and drugs, and eventually he is destroyed by those excesses, being unable to deal with the pressure that his image presents. The theme of the messiah rising and falling is very mythological (Wikipedia.org, n.p.), endearing the album to fans all over the world. It begins with a prophecy of the world ending in "five years", and Ziggy is introduced as the salvation of the world. At first, he contacts a youth on Earth (in the song Starman) but he is leery of making contact with the world immediately as he is afraid of the consequencess ("There's a starman waiting in the sky / he'd like to come and meet us / but he think he'd blow our minds"). Nonetheless, he gives a promise of freedom to the youth: "He told me / Let the children use it / Let the children lose it / Let all the children boogie" (Starman). Ziggy and his band, the Spiders from Mars, struggle with the rise to fame, and then struggle with the pressures of being rock and roll stars to "hang on to themselves", a dilemma that so many rock and roll stars face, even today: to remain true to their artistic vision and not succumb to the disasters that constantly claim stars. Yet despite the original intent of bringing peace, love and freedom to the world, Ziggy has his fall, "making love with his ego, Ziggy sucked up into his mind / Like a leper messiah" (Ziggy Stardust). Even bleaker is the reality: in a case of life imitating art, David Bowie himself became like Ziggy Stardust, eventually causing him to question his own sanity and abandon Ziggy Stardust at last in order to preserve his own personality. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust is a kind of cautionary tale that on the outset seems to preach everything that poetry naysayers are afraid that poetry will preach, yet the undercutting message is meant to awaken listeners to the reality that excess will lead to disastrous consequences - in Ziggy's case, he is mobbed to death by his own fans that he had inspired. The lyrics are opiate, yet invite mental exercise to interpret the message of caution that Ziggy Stardust represents. Outwardly, the rock'n'roll image of Ziggy Stardust could be a possible "mother of abuse" (Sidney para. 60), but critical reading will lead to better judgment of the dangers in stardom.
It is easy to see how all these pop-culture genres rely on the power of words to get across messages - none of the songs cited could have made its point clear without lyrics, and a comic rarely stands alone imparting a message without words to indicate interaction between its characters. Moreover, the poetry within these references indicates that the arrangement of 'the best words in the best order' still applies today in communicating and provoking ideas. Sir Philip Sidney argued for poetry in the 16th century against the idea that poetry is useless and immoral in its fiction; today a reader can tell how poetry is useful and moral even within the boundaries (or freedom) of fiction. It would be unfair to accuse poetry of negative consequences, because it is like rhetoric - a tool of the poet to express ideas, and the audience has the mental capabilities to interpret the message. Placing the blame on poets would be irresponsible as it misses the point of communication entirely. Sidney pointed out how poetry will prevail despite the ages, how Homer and Musaeus have been immortalized in words; so, too, does poetry prevail in the culture of today.
Now to edit it to make sure it all works. Knowing Dr. Chorney, I'll probably end up with a C. XD
n. a literary composition that is given intensity by particular attention to diction (sometimes involving rhyme), rhythm and imagery.
Robert Frost once suggested poetry to be "the best words in the best order." He is quite possibly right, and I will use this definition to give the term "poetry" the ability to blanket all literature in general, which I believe is the spirit that Sir Philip Sidney means when he himself used the term in his Defense of Poesy. In his Defense, he points out the relevance and importance of poetry within his society, cutting through arguments using rhetoric (also another exercise in the arrangement of words). This indicates that poetry could be applied to almost any kind of literature that is meant to persuade, educate, or entertain. Sidney tackles three major arguments against poetry, each of which will be further explored and debunked in this essay. Sidney's ripostes will be applied to examples in contemporary culture. All this will argue that poetry is still present and remain valid, even within the spheres of contemporary culture.
"First, that there being many other more fruitful knowledges, a man might better spend his time in them than in this" (Sidney para. 58).
This is the first argument Sidney addresses, so it is fitting that this paper should begin with it. Poetry was, and still is, accused of being an activity for the frivolous, causing immorality through its lack of productivity. It is, as Irene Samuel paraphrases Plato, "a pander to the passions" (385) and since passion is the opposite of reason and the cause of strife, irrational action and thus suffering, poetry is indicted of the same. However, Sidney posits that poetry does, indeed, have a place within society at large; it is a form of consolation, providing comfort, and thought provocation, requiring skill. David Yezzi very eloquently points out, "Great poems provide solace of a particularly complex kind, offering the considerable balm afforded by the appreciation of a beautiful object and of the moral measuring of language" (Yezzi 19). Poetry has been used in therapy, where the consoled either read or write poetry. It is a cathartic process for many people that may simply require an outlet for their passion. Platonic fear of the passions that poetry expresses is rendered null when one realizes that once the passion is purged from the mental system through poetry, said mental system may find it easier to move on to more rational, productive thoughts which Platonists aim for.
Platonists should also approve of the skill required in poetry, as it has the possibility/potential/ability to delight the reader into becoming more receptive towards learning and thus, towards moral virtue (Deveraux 88). This skill is hardly frivolous, as it tries to express the truth that philosophers so often try to attain. Poetry that renders ideas into language must be attentive to the "music, rhythm, diction... and the connotative power of words" (Yezzi 21) if it intends to have any quality in its imitation of the poet's thought at all. The poet thus has the responsibility to express his thoughts as clearly as possible in such a way that the reader understand the coherency of the piece as a whole without being told directly, allowing for some brainwork. Neil Gaiman, authour, playwright and comic book scripter, is a good example, particular with his short story, the Case of the Four And Twenty Blackbirds and his Sandman comic series.
The Case of the Four and Twenty Blackbirds is the archetypical detective story using characters from "canon" nursery rhymes. In this case, Little Jack Horner is the detective, approached by the "sister" of Humpty Dumpty to find out who pushed Humpty Dumpty off the wall. In the original rhymes, Little Jack Horner is a little boy who, while eating a pie, sticks his thumb in it, and Humpty Dumpty is an egg-man who falls off a wall and all the King's horses and men "couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again". Neil Gaiman also involves other nursery rhyme characters, such as Cock Robin, Dr. Forrester of Glouscester and the Queen from the rhyme Sing a Song of Sixpence. There are links between Little Jack Horner, who refers often to the "pie" that he sticks his thumb into, and the Sixpence song, where the four and twenty blackbirds burst out of the pie. Neil Gaiman uses these nursery rhymes, draws links between them and creates a detective story using the same clichéd format. While he takes some liberty with the details, he remains true to most of them. The only really noticeable change is that of the Sixpence song - instead of the maid whose nose is pecked off by the blackbirds, it is the Queen's. Gaiman then postulates that Humpty Dumpty, who came as an animal trainer to the town, was the one who set up the nose-pecking and took pictures of the result in order to blackmail the Queen (thus the reason for his death). Dr. Forrestor was the surgeon who performs plastic surgery on the Queen, causing his own death. These details brought together require skills in brainstorming, mind-stimulation and idea-connection. It is not an activity for the "frivolous" or the "immoral".
In the same vein, the comic Sandman, drawn in the late '80s and early '90s, draws on different mythologies and sometimes even creates its own, such as the pantheon of the "Endless": Destiny, Death, Dream, Desire, Despair, Destruction and Delirium (once Delight). Each of these Endless have their own functions towards universal life (not just human), but they also have their own personalities, principles and agendas. While it is not fair to say that the words of Gaiman could stand without the accompanying art for support, the philosophical points he makes through these "anthromorphic personifications" provoke thought among its readers, thus making it a highly acclaimed cult classic. For example, in issue #8: A Death in the Family, contained within Volume I, the reader, having followed Dream, the Sandman, on his quest to reclaim his tools of power after being entombed for sixty years, is introduced to his elder sister, Death. She is a positive person, finding amusement in movies like Mary Poppins, and cares deeply for her brother, who is depressed after his initial quest. To cheer him up, she lets him accompany her on her duties among humans, greeting people at their deaths and sending them to the Sunless Lands (an invention of Gaiman's, perhaps an adaptation of the Wiccan Summerlands). Through watching her perform her duties towards humanity, Dream re-discovers his will to enjoy his existence and tasks once more. In this way, Gaiman expresses the idea that people should enjoy the natural courses of life, and that it will have ups and downs. He does not directly preach to the audience, but the reader can draw this very moral message of acceptance from this story.
"Secondly, that it is the mother of lies" (Sidney para. 59).
Poetry, as merely an imitation and not the truth, was considered to nurture a mindset that is based on fiction - lies as it were, because fiction is based on imagination and invention, not on fact. Sidney replies that the poet never lies, because there is nothing to affirm. This is because the poet does not outright state that whatever is written is true, does not demand the reader believe what is written and takes for granted that the reader understands that whatever has been written was taken from imagination. Yet this mimesis in poetry asserts universal truths that all human beings with the power of reason should be able to relate to on some level, no matter whether the poem is based on truth or not (Samuel 388). This is a tradition that continues in contemporary culture, particularly over the radio.
First, one can look at poems - songs, specifically - which contain truth within the words. In 1996, the rapper Notorious B.I.G. was murdered in a shootout, caused by the East and West coasts rivalry between gangster factions that were expressed quite frequently by rappers and their fans. Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs had been the protégé of the Notorious B.I.G., and the latter's death had come as a hard hit on the younger rapper, who, although he had long established his own reputation, continued to look to BIG as a mentor and an elder brother. As a sign of commemoration and respect to the deceased rapper, Sean Combs collaborated with B.I.G.'s wife, Faith Evans, to produce, perform and record the single I'll Be Missing You. The depth of Sean Comb's respect can be heard within the lyrics, and B.I.G.'s name is even mentioned outright, dispelling any doubt as to who the song is dedicated to. The theme of mourning and loss of a loved one is a universal one, and Sean Combs expresses it through the lyrics of a song - through a kind of poetry. This disproves the idea that poetry is filled with lies, because obviously, I'll Be Missing You is not fiction, nor is it a lie in any way.
Contrast this with a song which is obviously fictional from the poet's standpoint, yet non-fictional as far as normal emotions go. ABBA, a pop-music group from the 70's and 80's, wrote many songs that were fictional, yet highly successful because the mass public could relate to the songs that contained universal themes across several cultures. Money Money Money, released in 1976, is about a typical woman who dreams of marrying a rich man. Its themes of money, its necessity in the current materialistic climate and the comfort that it brings are widespread in today's global economic culture. The song, an imitation of so many people's cries across the world, is fictional, but could hardly be called a lie by any means, because from the viewpoint of the common man, money is funny, in the rich man's world. It is not possible to dismiss this song as a lie or an untruth, nor is it possible to say that this song attempts to affirm any factual evidence. To brand poets as liars would therefore be an unfair judgment, as it not only undermines the universality of their poem, but also undermines the readers' intelligence by accusing them of the inability to differentiate between fiction and reality.
"Thirdly, that it is the mother of abuse, infecting us with many pestilent desires, with a siren's sweetness drawing the mind to the serpent's tail of sinful fancies - and herein especially comedies give the largest field to ear, as Chaucer saith; how, both in other nations and in ours, before poets did soften us, we were full of courage, given to martial exercises, the pillars of manlike liberty and not lulled asleep in shady idleness with poets' pastimes" (Sidney para. 60).
This argument is similar to the first argument: that poetry can stir the passions of its reader or listener, and tempts its audiences into immoral actions through these passions. Poetry has such a hold over its audience that it becomes dangerous to the government who assumes moral responsibility over its subjects. But whereas the answer to that argument has been its focus on its roles in consolation and thought provocation, there is another riposte to it: that poetry can inspire its audience to moral action by channeling the passion into temperance. Poetry does not need to directly instruct its audience to behave in a set way; it is enough to present a situation to the receptive mind that will judge for itself the actions and consequences involved (Yezzi 21). Through this exposure, the audience will be able to judge the type of reaction required for such a situation, as well as consider alternative solutions.
Take for example the song Hit 'Em up Style, by Blu Cantrell. It was released in 2001 with her debut album, So Blue, and has now sold up to fifty thousand copies. Hit 'Em Up Style is about a woman who has discovered her lover has been cheating on her. In retaliation, she takes his credit card and goes on a shopping spree with it, racking up a large debt for him to repay as she walks off with her new belongings and throws him out of her life. Throughout the song, Blu expresses the hurt and pain that she, as the narrator, is dealing with and relieves through her shopping trip. This song presents the situation of many women in the world - being cheated on - and a possible solution with dealing with it, even if it is spiteful. It is the sort of song which makes boyfriends think twice about cheating on their girlfriends and ex-girlfriends gloat in gratification at the idea of cheating boyfriends being made to suffer. Certainly, some people would be leery of this song as it seems to preach something that leads to a lot of legal problems, and no doubt that some women (and possibly men) have actually taken this route of revenge. Yet Blu Cantrell merely presents a consequence (bankruptcy) to an action (cheating) and a solution (revenge) to a situation (being cheated on). While she does directly advise her female audience on a method of revenge, there is an indirect advice to her male audience to judge their own decisions (Yezzi 21) before acting on them. The revenge of the young woman in this song could be considered emotional and irrational, but cheating is also an irrational, passionate act. If anything, these lyrics awaken the listeners to the possible ramifications of an action, as opposed to lulling them to indolence.
On a larger scale, contemporary culture of the 70's and 80's offer up David Bowie and his creation, the alien Ziggy Stardust. Ziggy Stardust is presented as the archetypal rock star, a "starman" starting out to bring a message of peace and love but as his fame rises, so do his excesses of sex and drugs, and eventually he is destroyed by those excesses, being unable to deal with the pressure that his image presents. The theme of the messiah rising and falling is very mythological (Wikipedia.org, n.p.), endearing the album to fans all over the world. It begins with a prophecy of the world ending in "five years", and Ziggy is introduced as the salvation of the world. At first, he contacts a youth on Earth (in the song Starman) but he is leery of making contact with the world immediately as he is afraid of the consequencess ("There's a starman waiting in the sky / he'd like to come and meet us / but he think he'd blow our minds"). Nonetheless, he gives a promise of freedom to the youth: "He told me / Let the children use it / Let the children lose it / Let all the children boogie" (Starman). Ziggy and his band, the Spiders from Mars, struggle with the rise to fame, and then struggle with the pressures of being rock and roll stars to "hang on to themselves", a dilemma that so many rock and roll stars face, even today: to remain true to their artistic vision and not succumb to the disasters that constantly claim stars. Yet despite the original intent of bringing peace, love and freedom to the world, Ziggy has his fall, "making love with his ego, Ziggy sucked up into his mind / Like a leper messiah" (Ziggy Stardust). Even bleaker is the reality: in a case of life imitating art, David Bowie himself became like Ziggy Stardust, eventually causing him to question his own sanity and abandon Ziggy Stardust at last in order to preserve his own personality. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust is a kind of cautionary tale that on the outset seems to preach everything that poetry naysayers are afraid that poetry will preach, yet the undercutting message is meant to awaken listeners to the reality that excess will lead to disastrous consequences - in Ziggy's case, he is mobbed to death by his own fans that he had inspired. The lyrics are opiate, yet invite mental exercise to interpret the message of caution that Ziggy Stardust represents. Outwardly, the rock'n'roll image of Ziggy Stardust could be a possible "mother of abuse" (Sidney para. 60), but critical reading will lead to better judgment of the dangers in stardom.
It is easy to see how all these pop-culture genres rely on the power of words to get across messages - none of the songs cited could have made its point clear without lyrics, and a comic rarely stands alone imparting a message without words to indicate interaction between its characters. Moreover, the poetry within these references indicates that the arrangement of 'the best words in the best order' still applies today in communicating and provoking ideas. Sir Philip Sidney argued for poetry in the 16th century against the idea that poetry is useless and immoral in its fiction; today a reader can tell how poetry is useful and moral even within the boundaries (or freedom) of fiction. It would be unfair to accuse poetry of negative consequences, because it is like rhetoric - a tool of the poet to express ideas, and the audience has the mental capabilities to interpret the message. Placing the blame on poets would be irresponsible as it misses the point of communication entirely. Sidney pointed out how poetry will prevail despite the ages, how Homer and Musaeus have been immortalized in words; so, too, does poetry prevail in the culture of today.
Now to edit it to make sure it all works. Knowing Dr. Chorney, I'll probably end up with a C. XD