The Role of Poet

I know a lot of us are feeling disgust, shock, grief, anger, and many other emotions regarding the recent election. So I asked on Facebook, what is the role of the poet in times such as these?

Answers ranged from speaking the truth to staying in your heart, to keeping an honest record of what we feel. Araceli Esparza quoted Toni Morrison, saying that “this is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal. I know the world is bruised and bleeding, and though it is important not to ignore its pain, it is also critical to refuse to succumb to its malevolence. Like failure, chaos contains information that can lead to knowledge, even wisdom, like art.” Mario the Poet Willis, our former Milwaukee Poet Laureate said “we need to speak truth to power, document the emotional realties and continue to support the arts and creatives everywhere.”

During an autocracy, we as poets often become that of the dissenter, the truth-teller, the cultural preserver. As you know, in autocratic regimes, dissent is often suppressed, the media is controlled, and free speech is limited. But poetry can become a powerful means of resistance and expression. We can critique authoritarianism, share our experiences and the experiences of those living under oppression, and preserve the cultural and historical memory of people whose voices are being erased and distorted by the regime.

In an autocracy, we, as poets, serve as witnesses and document the everyday realities of oppression, loss, and resilience. Our work can offer comfort and solidarity to the people, giving voice to collective experiences and emotions that are often stifled in such political climates. We can create code languages that resonate with audiences and evade censorship.

It takes courage, but we, as poets, can inspire hope, envisioning alternative futures and emphasizing universal human values. It takes courage, but we can pave the way for people to maintain a sense of identity, dignity and agency. It’s time to get to work.

In solidarity,

Amanda