Ben Lerner - Ódio à Poesia

Poetry, among other aspects, has a characteristic that sets it apart from all other literary genres: none ignites as much controversy or aversion as it does—whether from readers, non-readers, or even poets themselves.

Almost instinctively, we can tell whether a given poem is good or mediocre, while at the same time condemning it as monotonous, pretentious, elitist, trite, or simply useless. Hating poetry seems to be, more than a task reserved for critics, a kind of shared hobby that transcends borders and historical periods.

But where does all this hatred come from, this remarkable ease in accusing it?