Has poetry lost its place in society?

I live with several Drama specialists, one of whom continually states that poetry has lost its place in society and is irrelevant.

From an art education POV I point out that I use poetry all the time to help in the production of art, especially Edward Lear!

What are your opinions?

 

I don't know. I'm not a big fan of poetry; it doesn't speak to me. When I write it I can get it mechanically perfect, but I can't really make it sound good, because it doesn't do anything for me. That said, my English prof last semester absolutely loved poetry, and pointed out tons of poetry and tons of actively published poets.

I think one thing that a lot of people don't understand in "society," though, is that nothing is for everyone. Just because not *everyone* likes poetry -- or literature, or comics, or fantasy -- doesn't mean it doesn't have a place. Nothing is universal. Different strokes for different folks, y'know? Just because something's not immediately and hugely popular doesn't mean it's lost its place -- most poets historically wrote for *themselves*, not an audience, and lived and died poor, their works only gaining a greater audience at some point posthumously if at all.