And in the discussions around
the local body elections in New Plymouth there was often an underlying theme
that more or less asked the same question, implying that the arts have no
practical use, when compared with footpaths and drains.
Take two well-known poems, at
least in New Zealand. “God defend New Zealand”, goes the refrain of the first. Does anyone
really suggest that this poem is no use? It has, in fact, a clear political value
to enable us to identify with our country, and to express our solidarity over
against other countries, whether we compete in sport, business or war.
The second poem starts “Ka
mate! Ka mate!” Again it should be obvious to anyone who has watched a sporting
event, or seen the welcome to a homecoming team or hero, that it is a very
special piece of poetry, accompanied by dance, which serves, in much the same
way, to celebrate, honour, unify, and express gratitude and the deepest
respect.
Then, take another example: ”Georgie,
Porgie, pudding and pie, Kissed the girls and made
them cry.” We have mostly forgotten the origins of this one, but it was sung or
chanted by the street urchins in the eighteenth century about one of the King
Georges, and because it is easy to remember for its rhyme and rhythm, has been
told to children ever since.
Its original use was as a
political slogan, or to express popular feeling about politics, but now it is
just good fun for children. And there are lots like it.
These are just three of the
uses to which politicians have put poetry.
Then take one that begins: ”Thirty days hath September, April June and November.” We can all say this poem
by heart. And we use it to check our recall of the calendar when we are fixing
dates for our diaries, and such everyday tasks.
Then look at “What shall we
do with a drunken sailor?” Our ancestors who sailed to New Zealand by sailing
ship would know exactly what that was used for: the crew of the ship, each man on one arm of
the capstan, walking round and so operating the winch that raised the anchor,
or hauled up the huge sails.
And this kind of poetry, song
or chant, was not only used by sailors.
In those days and before, for centuries, working gangs had had to do all
the heavy hauling, at least until steam winches and jack-hammers were invented,
or the boss could afford a team of bullocks or other animal power. I have seen
and heard gangs hauling up concrete blocks to drop on piles for a new bridge in
places where modern machinery was unobtainable. Their chant was just like a
sea-shanty. And I guess my great-grandfather who rebuilt Queen’s Wharf in
Auckland a century ago probably used the same sort of manpower for pile-driving,
sometimes.
So work-poetry is another
large genre where the practical use is obvious.
Much the same are children’s
play-poetry, like “Oranges and Lemons”, and all the other rhymes for skipping
to, in rhythm.
Then there are the poems
which tell a story; before everyone could read, they were able to remember the
story because lots of the poetry was easily remembered. Such poems are in every
culture: “Iliad”, “Aeneid”, “Ramayana”, “Job”, “Beowulf”, “Paradise Lost”. And
more modern ones like “The Charge of the Light Brigade”, or “The Ancient
Mariner”. Even A A Milne’s “The King’s Breakfast” fits here.
And then there are simple,
romantic poems like “I wandered lonely as a cloud”, or “Shall I compare thee to
a Summer’s day?” where the poet is expressing his feelings in memorable,
concise language. Alexander Pope described this process as:
“True Art is Nature to
advantage dress’d,
What oft was thought but
ne’er so well express’d.”
This kind of poetry helps us
to find words to put our feelings into when we want to tell someone else about
them, or just to get our descriptions of emotion straight in our own minds,
especially to express our ideas very concisely.
Poetry is almost never
without a use, in many cases a public use that we all share.
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