RE: Bad poetry online and what we can do about it
You mention in the comments here that you realize poetry is subjective. Why then do you aim to declare other people's work invalid?
I will say that I am pretty picky about poetry myself. In fact, I don't like that E.E. Cummings' poem you linked. However, I do like his poem that begins with "Who knows if the moon's a balloon..." That is because I like the elements he uses in the second poem, such as repetition, internal rhymes, alliteration, and similar vowel and consonant sounds thrown together to make the poem more melodious. But you see, that's my style. I wouldn't ask people to have the same opinion as me.
Some people value the emotion behind poetry and this can be seen in even the cliche poems with forced rhymes that are written by some teenagers. Those poems can be as meaningful to someone as a well-written sonnet with old English language. Someone can come across that "bad" poem and say, "I relate."
I don't think many people write poetry with the aim to make money. (It's a very difficult thing to do.) Thus, it's an art form for people to express themselves in whatever way that means something to them (whether that's in free verse, with a strict rhyme structure, with a lack of structural conformity like E.E. Cummings, or with blatant typos). Don't be so quick to discount people's writing.
I acknowledge some level of subjectivity, but I won't say it's totally subjective as some people say.
You're misunderstanding me. Quality is different than my taste (I just commented on your rap, for example). For example, even if you don't like the poem I linked, you can still appreciate that it's good and insightful and creative and took some brilliance and skill, can't you?
I, for example, have no problem acknowledging quality, even if I don't like it. I am happy to see stuff that isn't to my particular taste proliferate, as long as it is still of quality.
But I will still be quick to discount people's writing as not good if it simply isn't good. This doesn't make me anything but honest. That doesn't mean I don't think it has any value (why I brought up the therapeutic aspect of it), but just because it's valuable to the person, doesn't mean it's valuable art. I need to stand by that.
I will acknowledge what you say about cliches & the emotion behind it, to a point. But I would argue that even if it's relatable, it doesn't automatically qualify it as good.
Thank you for clarifying your position on the topic. "...it's valuable to the person, doesn't mean it's valuable art" — I can get behind that belief.
If you have the time, would you mind explaining what you like or admire so much about that E.E. Cummings poem you shared? It's not a favorite of mine, and I didn't personally get anything out of it. But I would like to know what makes it special to someone else. Maybe then I could understand more about what you personally value in poetry.
Wow mate.. You get my vote!