The engines that have driven poetry's institutional success - the explosion of academic writing programs, the proliferation of subsidized magazines and presses, the emergence of a creative-writing career track, and the migration of American literary culture to the university - have unwittingly contributed to its disappearance from public view.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Institutional support for poetry has paradoxically reduced its presence in the wider public sphere.
- In plain terms
- Academic and institutional support has pushed poetry out of public view.
- What can you take from it?
- Specialized support can isolate art from the general public.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How can poetry reach the public again?
- Is academic poetry less accessible?
Another view
Institutions are necessary for preserving art even if they limit reach.
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