“The prophets of Israel were poets who were preachers, preachers who were poets. They deconstructed old worlds and envisioned new worlds, with some of the pushiest, poetic, figurative, and powerful speech ever uttered, all on the basis of nothing but words” (Willimon, Proclamation and Theology, p. 11).
Have 'Em Delivered
Write to the Editor
This is absurd on its face. Poetry is propaganda. The power of propaganda is not the words; it is the sanctions behind the words. What will the poets DO to their skeptics? Relentless threats of regret for a wasted life are a control structure. They are empty threats if they are based on medieval traditions and not Divine Law.
Jeers, I am guessing you would disagree with my beloved Shelley who called poets “the unacknowledged legislators of mankind.” And with Plato who thought poets so dangerous that he wanted them banned from the Republic. Do you not think that the memory of I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, Straining upon the start. The game’s afoot: Follow your spirit, and upon this charge Cry ‘God for Harry, England, and Saint George!’ might keep a sentry under fire at his post even more firmly than the fear of execution for cowardice? Poetry may be propaganda but power is… Read more »
no.
“The poets will torment their skeptics”
That’s what I said. Poets wield power by threatening people with regret for failing to participate in meaning. These are empty threats when poets are talking medieval nonsense: Slay the dragon, save the maiden.