Today I went to a lecture given by my bible professor Lee Schlesinger on why poetry is important. In it he addressed many ideas about language that were fascinating.   One entity his lecture was that good poetry allows us to use language at one hundred percent capacity.  Conversationally we use it only at five percent capacity.  Therefore, it is necessary to have areas of reference that show the abilities of language to communicate on many levels.   

Another point he made was that in a world moving at such a fast pace, poetry provides a sort of counterbalance to that pace.  Poetry is a place where quick thoughtless interpretation is unacceptable.  If it was then a poet would just say exactly what he means as plain as possible.  Lee compared this simple transaction:  “When a shipping company wraps and sends a package, the receiver will open the package and receive exactly what those who shipped it to him intended… Poetry is the opposite.”

One of the biggest arguments against his points was the notion that poetry lacks of utility use and that it’s something "rich people do while they wait around for their money." Lee argued that one of poetry’s best utilities is that it makes us feel pleasure and guiltlessly so. A rare combination seldom found other places. 

Overall it was a tremendously enjoyable lecture and I hope my review does him justice.