Document Type

Book

Publication Date

2000

Abstract

The poet Dana Gioia is a pivotal figure in contemporary American letters. One of the most respected and vocal writers identified with the controversial movement commonly called the New Formalism, Gioia has helped to redefine the face of contemporary poetry. In his 1991 Atlantic Monthly essay, “Can Poetry Matter?” Gioia critiqued the American poetry scene, arguing that contemporary poets were writing mainly for an audience of other poets. He claimed that because poets weren’t trying to reach a general audience, contemporary poetry generally was going unread by non-poets, even by college graduates who regularly read novels. Gioia blamed the loss of general readers on the wholesale influx of poets into the academy, arguing that American poets had stopped paying attention to the needs of general readers. Moreover, in Gioia’s view, as poetry’s audience shrank and became more specialized, poets in turn became more defensive about their own importance and therefore less willing to write critical reviews of poetry. This lack of candid reviewing resulted in a confused and ultimately skeptical audience. In “Can Poetry Matter?” Gioia set forth a remedy for this malady, challenging contemporary poets to take a more visionary approach toward their art. He also provided a series of practical steps for reinvigorating poetry and for bringing it to a general readership.

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