In art, the artist (writer, poet, painter etc) is a creator. But his creations hardly live to attain relevance without occassional 'treatment'.
On the WORD, poetry herein today is mostly written haphazardly, thence
deformed and sick! Sometimes. In such a case, the reader becomes an
indispensable partner in the trade. He is the surgeon and doctor. His is
to operate, deconstruct, analyze, inspect and subject a given work to
some measures, thus ascertain its worthness. Points out its strengths
and weaknesses and makes the creator aware of them. This is critical
reading (or readership). The livelihood of literary growth. See?
This puts the writer (or poet) and the reader into some symbiotic relationship. A contract-- writer (or poet)-reader contract. Its existence is enhanced by active involvement of the two. The poet (or writer) captures human experiences to edutain, inform or advocate for something. The reader, who is the immediate consumer, critically perceives, analyzes and cautiously consumes them. But most importantly, he points out any inadequacy therein. This basically includes ungrammaticality, misrepresentation of cultures and traditions and injustice to societal values among others. Failure on either side ruins one, moreso the poet (or writer). He dies, literally! And readers are responsible.
Herein, many a reader have violated the contract aforementioned. The kind of readership that poetry is served is very shallow, myopic and narrow-minded. So disheartening and damning. Fancy that? What immortalizes this literary disgrace is the massive growth of pseudo-poets, arrogant and ignorant young poets. These hardly pause to learn, upgrade and advance. Instead, they opt for paths easily walked. The wide paths. Paths leading to hell! This has abundantly seen most popularized and vulgarized versified stories take root.
And ignorant, shallow and narrow-minded readers laud them! This is usually concealed in non-comment words and phrases like: 'wow', 'you killed it', 'amazing', 'aaaawesome', 'masterpiece' etc etc. And 'poets' feel big, proud and smile-- at their funerals! They are encouraged to keep writing, pieces that only invite idle comments. These have seen the likes of Stacy Njagi and Boy Flani Kurtanga become darlings to many. Anyhow, readers' responses and views like these completely kill rising poets.
Sometimes I think readers are interested more in other things than poets' works. For example, sex and what is packaged with the poems-- pictures. Most women poets have been celebrated and their not-so-good-works liked and commented. Why? They are women. See Stacy Njagi's protest pieces for instance. Though hers is aided by the different gospel she preaches; something that has earned her staunch followers. Boy Flani Kurtanga is big now. See? If readers would only judge poets based on what they write and nothing whasoever, paradise is damn near! Poetry would have a bright future.
Pictures influence readership greatly. They make poems attractive and therefore compel readers to view them. So they ignore the poems which at times are grammatically sick, dry and empty and chaotic. And dear readers have no time and intention to kill themselves whilst struggling to decipher meaning. Infact, the non-comments they drop evolve into myriad discourses, completely unrelated to the poem. So how do poets benefit?
There is alot readers can offer to poets (or writers). A woman should not leave her man hungry by fondling his balls and feeling his penis; she should give him the challenge of ploughing the sacred vineyard. Lest he dies of conjugal thirst. So readers should give poets challenges-- tough challenges. If the latter have to become persons of relevance and savor its sweetness. Serious criticism is what all poets need. Journeying to paradise is no easy. See?
We should not seek to quench our thirst for art by indulging in phrase-mongering, entertaining mediocrity, hawking plastic smiles around and smuggling filth in. Poetry carries a society's culture, values and heritage. Poets are custodians of this hallowed ancestral treasure. They should not overlook or ruin them. Readers are watchmen of the word. Gatekeepers. Their critical mind should not let poets to mess around.
(c) Wafula p'Khisa
Lirango Lienjofu
[Thigh of an Elephant].
This puts the writer (or poet) and the reader into some symbiotic relationship. A contract-- writer (or poet)-reader contract. Its existence is enhanced by active involvement of the two. The poet (or writer) captures human experiences to edutain, inform or advocate for something. The reader, who is the immediate consumer, critically perceives, analyzes and cautiously consumes them. But most importantly, he points out any inadequacy therein. This basically includes ungrammaticality, misrepresentation of cultures and traditions and injustice to societal values among others. Failure on either side ruins one, moreso the poet (or writer). He dies, literally! And readers are responsible.
Herein, many a reader have violated the contract aforementioned. The kind of readership that poetry is served is very shallow, myopic and narrow-minded. So disheartening and damning. Fancy that? What immortalizes this literary disgrace is the massive growth of pseudo-poets, arrogant and ignorant young poets. These hardly pause to learn, upgrade and advance. Instead, they opt for paths easily walked. The wide paths. Paths leading to hell! This has abundantly seen most popularized and vulgarized versified stories take root.
And ignorant, shallow and narrow-minded readers laud them! This is usually concealed in non-comment words and phrases like: 'wow', 'you killed it', 'amazing', 'aaaawesome', 'masterpiece' etc etc. And 'poets' feel big, proud and smile-- at their funerals! They are encouraged to keep writing, pieces that only invite idle comments. These have seen the likes of Stacy Njagi and Boy Flani Kurtanga become darlings to many. Anyhow, readers' responses and views like these completely kill rising poets.
Sometimes I think readers are interested more in other things than poets' works. For example, sex and what is packaged with the poems-- pictures. Most women poets have been celebrated and their not-so-good-works liked and commented. Why? They are women. See Stacy Njagi's protest pieces for instance. Though hers is aided by the different gospel she preaches; something that has earned her staunch followers. Boy Flani Kurtanga is big now. See? If readers would only judge poets based on what they write and nothing whasoever, paradise is damn near! Poetry would have a bright future.
Pictures influence readership greatly. They make poems attractive and therefore compel readers to view them. So they ignore the poems which at times are grammatically sick, dry and empty and chaotic. And dear readers have no time and intention to kill themselves whilst struggling to decipher meaning. Infact, the non-comments they drop evolve into myriad discourses, completely unrelated to the poem. So how do poets benefit?
There is alot readers can offer to poets (or writers). A woman should not leave her man hungry by fondling his balls and feeling his penis; she should give him the challenge of ploughing the sacred vineyard. Lest he dies of conjugal thirst. So readers should give poets challenges-- tough challenges. If the latter have to become persons of relevance and savor its sweetness. Serious criticism is what all poets need. Journeying to paradise is no easy. See?
We should not seek to quench our thirst for art by indulging in phrase-mongering, entertaining mediocrity, hawking plastic smiles around and smuggling filth in. Poetry carries a society's culture, values and heritage. Poets are custodians of this hallowed ancestral treasure. They should not overlook or ruin them. Readers are watchmen of the word. Gatekeepers. Their critical mind should not let poets to mess around.
(c) Wafula p'Khisa
Lirango Lienjofu
[Thigh of an Elephant].
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