Why Poetry? A question posed to probably all poets at least once before. Why go down this path, why write poetry? Dr. Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Presidential Professor and Distinguished Professor of English at Stony Brook University in conversation with Dr. Carl Lejuez, the Provost and Executive Vice President at Stony Brook took on that very question. Dr. Rowan Ricardo Phillips, the author of seven books of poetry and prose, featured his thoughts and perspectives on the poetry industry, on our social climate, and its effects on the modern-day reader.

Phillips began the presentation by reading two poems We Real Cool by Gwendolyn Brooks and Parable of the Palace by Jorge Luis Borges; then he shared his thoughts on the meaning of both. For the first poem, Phillips illustrates the poem’s depiction of a group of young pool players who disregard their responsibilities to look cool and to fit in with the other guys, to then later meet an early death. Phillips explained how spending too much time chasing the attention of others leads to a meaningless existence; if we were to give in to the short-term pressures of those around us, we would become blinded to the potential, long-term responsibilities and outcomes. Nevertheless, the second poem touches upon themes of the incapability of humans to comprehend ultimate truths and the limitations of language and perception. The poem recounts the narrator’s experience of being shown the many halls and grand structures of a beautiful palace that is beyond description and comprehension because of how intricately marvelous the palace was built. 

Phillips highlighted the similarities within the poems and their relation to social perceptions and expectations of poetry in our current climate. To the modern-day reader who may dismiss poetry as an old art that is no longer relevant, Phillips assured us that, no matter how overlooked or unrecognized poetry is in today’s society, poetry will never die. He shared his thoughts on why poetry may be more important, now more than ever, as poetry is a way in which the incomprehensible can become comprehensible. In a social climate that is erratic and unpredictable, it is easy to get caught in the loop of things and then become lost. Poetry may be the perfect outlet for expression and a way to explain the unexplainable current climate. So, Phillips said to those who think otherwise, and to those who believe poetry to be a lost art form that’s no longer appreciated, to think again, as it just might be the thing that we need most. 

After the lecture, Dr. Lejuez asked a variety of questions about Phillip’s inspiration for his poem, coming from the students he teaches, and why teaching at Stony Brook is important to him. Phillips responded by expressing his love for teaching and his particular connection with his students and colleagues, which makes working at Stony Brook worth it. He is later asked about his origins with poetry and what made him pursue this life. Phillips mentioned his mother, on how she would read and recite Shakespeare often throughout the house. This seemed to stick with Phillips as he garnered an appreciation for poetry and literature later on in his young adult years. He does, however, attribute his inspiration to writing poetry to the many people he has met throughout his life; he felt the only way to express his experiences with these people was through poetry. 

As for my personal thoughts on the presentation, I thought it was insightful and well put together. I was impressed by Dr. Phillips’ way of expressing the poems and his interpretations of them. A sheet of paper with the poems was handed out to the audience members, so I had a copy for myself, which I read and interpreted alone. However, I was awed by the fact that he was able to read the same poem as I, yet he had a much broader and intuitive interpretation, which made me realize aspects of the poem that I did not reach upon my own reading. The way in which he had demonstrated these poems connected to our current lives, and how expansive his perspectives were, made me appreciate the nuances that poetry can truly offer. I enjoyed and found a lot of respect in Phillips’ outlook on life, his experiences, and how he balances teaching, yet is still pursuing his passion for writing poetry, which made me look towards my future for myself and my English degree. I became inspired to not only continue writing, but also to read more literature and expose myself to poetry, which I’ve read little of. “Why Poetry” gave me a greater appreciation and understanding of poetry, myself, and life.