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ETD Abstract Container

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Poetry Matters

Gillilan, Emily Ellen
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1277316897

Abstract Details

2010, Master of Arts in English, Cleveland State University, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
Dana Gioia's controversial book Can Poetry Matter? challenges poets to write in traditional forms to expand poetry's readership beyond the “subculture” of the university. In response to Gioia's position, my thesis considers the mind-numbing trends in today's entertainment and places importance on innovation to suggest that there is potential danger in Gioia's call to conform. If the artists of a society mold their work like a commodity to be consumed by the masses, this lack of originality could stint creative progress and hinder, rather than encourage, readers' interests. Gioia's position is currently a reference point for contemporary debates about poetry and society. My position offers a new suggestion to general readers: put forth individual effort and pursue professional instruction to learn how to read poetry in order to acquire a broader appreciation for the ways poetic form enriches communication. Furthermore, what is classified as difficult poetry depends upon the canon of a culture. Writers should not be required to reach a set audience or limit their innovation.
Michael Dumanis, PhD (Committee Chair)
Adam Sonstegard, PhD (Committee Member)
John Gerlach, PhD (Committee Member)
45 p.
American Literature; Art Education; English literature; Fine Arts; Higher Education; Language Arts; Literacy; Literature; Secondary Education
poetry; Dana Gioia; Can Poetry Matter; difficulty in poetry; innovation; creative writing; poetry's readership; Gertrude Stein; language poetry; Charles Bernstein; university subculture; Patriarchal Poetry; Further Color Notes; Helen Vendler; canon

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Gillilan, E. E. (2010). Poetry Matters [Master's thesis, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1277316897

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Gillilan, Emily. Poetry Matters. 2010. Cleveland State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1277316897.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Gillilan, Emily. "Poetry Matters." Master's thesis, Cleveland State University, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1277316897

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

csu1277316897
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© 2010, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.