What are the ways to make your poems spread to the audience?

[Belaslav]

I meant "Bots".

[Vasu]

@ Bela, yeah I know that. It's just that I first read it as Boots.

@Ralath Yes, they do. But the thing is, they just need to have one burst of genius to be acknowledged as a great poet/painter/whatever and then after that, it's enough if they just submit a work, because that is automatically treated as "so and so's work". Take the Mona Lisa for example. It's a nice painting. But it's painted by Leonardo Da Vinci! It's got to be a great painting! That's the general attitude that runs about. It's not "Oh look he got the details of the face just right" or "He structured the face and the background well". It's just "Leonardo Da Vinci painted it, so it has to be great. Shakespeare wrote it so it's got to be awesome." My point is, if you gave a five year old a paintbox and a canvas, and if he drew his squiggles on it, and you managed to pass it off as a Picasso or a Van Gogh, people would pay millions for it.

[Hraesvelg]

I think enjoyment of art is more of a subjective matter. If you enjoy the squiggles, then by all means...enjoy the squiggles. What does it matter if someone else shares your view of said fine art?

[Vasu]

It's alright if they like the squiggles. But they judge the squiggles, not by the way the squiggles are drawn, but by who has drawn it. If the aforementioned 5 year old goes to a connoisseur and shows him the painting, he'll be like "Aww that's cute son, here take this buck and buy yourself some sweets." But if Vincent Van Gogh showed him the squiggles he'll be like "The diverse imagination used in the creation of this masterpiece shows a mature understanding of...blah blah blah". That's why I detest abstract and sometimes normal art.

[Hraesvelg]

What I'm saying is...eschew the nebulous "they" you refer to. Form your own opinions and their feelings be damned. If you're lamenting the lack of commercial success, there are very, very few artists that find it in their lifetime. And those that do, like Thomas Kinkade, are oft times complete hacks. Create art not for the sake of fame and success, but because it calls out to you "I must be made."

[Ralath]

@Ralath Yes, they do. But the thing is, they just need to have one burst of genius to be acknowledged as a great poet/painter/whatever and then after that, it's enough if they just submit a work, because that is automatically treated as "so and so's work".

I don't think that's true. If it were true, we wouldn't have a term such as "one-hit wonder" which basically describes someone who has only produced one work of great value. And I think the phenomenon you're describing is part of the general masses that take things at face value. But even then, I think there are more discerning eyes out there. I mean, that's why there is criticism. If everything that was "so and so's work" was good, then the critic would have no job.

It's alright if they like the squiggles. But they judge the squiggles, not by the way the squiggles are drawn, but by who has drawn it. If the aforementioned 5 year old goes to a connoisseur and shows him the painting, he'll be like "Aww that's cute son, here take this buck and buy yourself some sweets." But if Vincent Van Gogh showed him the squiggles he'll be like "The diverse imagination used in the creation of this masterpiece shows a mature understanding of...blah blah blah". That's why I detest abstract and sometimes normal art.

But people don't look at art of any sort just for the art alone. They look at the story behind the art and the context of the art itself. Otherwise, it'd just be a competition to see who could draw the most realistically. Usually, the most famous paintings are those with interesting context and complex themes and people like being challenged with these things.

[Vasu]

What I'm saying is...eschew the nebulous "they" you refer to. Form your own opinions and their feelings be damned. If you're lamenting the lack of commercial success, there are very, very few artists that find it in their lifetime. And those that do, like Thomas Kinkade, are oft times complete hacks. Create art not for the sake of fame and success, but because it calls out to you "I must be made."

That kinda makes sense, except I've never really felt like it. If I'm sad, I'll say, "I'm sad." I won't say, "I weep like the springs of the evergreen glade" or something like that.

I don't think that's true. If it were true, we wouldn't have a term such as "one-hit wonder" which basically describes someone who has only produced one work of great value. And I think the phenomenon you're describing is part of the general masses that take things at face value. But even then, I think there are more discerning eyes out there. I mean, that's why there is criticism. If everything that was "so and so's work" was good, then the critic would have no job.

The critic would have a job because he's gushing out with pleasure at the work of art.

But people don't look at art of any sort just for the art alone. They look at the story behind the art and the context of the art itself. Otherwise, it'd just be a competition to see who could draw the most realistically. Usually, the most famous paintings are those with interesting context and complex themes and people like being challenged with these things.

When I run in a 100m dash, the winner is judged by who came first i.e who ran fastest. It's not judged by the fact that 1 of the sprinters lost a relative that morning and is therefore under emotional duress or by the fact that another of the sprinters ran more "elegantly". Similarly, art should also be judged by art alone.

[Hraesvelg]

A race, as in your example, is an objective measurement. Art is a subjective measurement. Some people try to quantify it, but art is a very intangible thing. I rarely express myself in poetry, but I enjoy reading poetic passages. It helps to expand the imagination and pushes the boundaries of how language is used. Certain poetic devices can create amazingly vivid imagery and can stir great emotion.

[Vasu]

I'm just pointing out that I've never really felt this surge of emotion...except maybe in a few songs.

[Hraesvelg]

Just out of curiosity...how have you been exposed to poetry? Mostly in written form or listening to it being read? I've found listening to poetry with the proper metre is really essential to an appreciation for the art form.