The questions raised in class over whether or not the ideals concerning poetry Emerson and Shelley believed in relate and/or can save the world, related to my situation as a student of psychology. I hope in the future to attend graduate school as a phsychology student, ultimately becoming a substance abuse counselor. This "line" of work tends to deal with people and lifestyles at their worst, with many addicts simply staying alive my sheer will power and distractions/programs. In some instances, poetry might be able to work as a type of therapy. BUT, if I were to read a poem or discuss beauty (Emerson and Shelley) to a heroin addict, who sold his/her own fillings for a fix, was kicked out of his/her house and divorced/children taken away--they would potentially look at me as if I was crazy. Now, I may be taking their words too literally and not fully understanding their meaning, but I have serious issues with this idea that poets are gods sent to reveal and display beauty and help people understand what they are thinking in relation to counseling and humanity in general.
Psychology has expanded in the past century and new understandings and treatment are brought to the field on a regular basis. I respect the work many phsychologists are doing, including my profs here at Messiah. They convinced me to look into the issue of the human psych more intimately. I started out an English major and then picked up Psychology because I grew disgusted with the attitude flaunted by students and profs that believed they were in fact "better" than the "common" man and they understood life on a deeper level than anyone else. Instead of attending family get-togethers or holidays, they holed themselves into rooms, alone, slaving through an entire poem only to come out when coffee was served with dessert--hoping for admiration concerning their dedication to words. THIS is what was talked about before class began in many of my classes. They say "Educated", I say "craving recognition"--a common enough flaw in anyone, but a flaw nonetheless. People attend couseling for much less.
People have problems/concerns that poetry will not be able to "solve" and will need higher treatment for. This is why I lost my faith in the wholistic power of the poem. There's no one "common" enough to face humanity in the face and offer solice, inspiration or beauty to those in the sciences or even teh tax lady down the street. It's all original wording, admirable, but filled with "English-major" jokes and puns related to Ovid's "Metamorphosis". I only know these two majors and cannot attest for any other concentration, but if we, the poets, are really called to be revealers and saviors of mankind then shouldn't we come back to earth, since that's where we're stuck anyways? And if we're called to make men fly or hear the nightingale, stop being unable to speak and communicate in a way that makes asking friends or aquaintances to lunch an uncomfortable situation. This may appear like an emotional tirade and it is. But it's erked me enough to make me direct my life in another direction. And I don't feel like they need to be separated.
Poetry and counseling could work so well together if we were able to destroy the emersonian stereotype- "I am not higher than you. I simply want to reveal to you...(blank)". I believe poetry does reveal beauty and maintains and expands our minds and helps reveal more of reality than we are actually aware. In a sense, a shadow of what people really feel, understand, experience, and believe. I don't believe facts and formulas can solve/explain humanity. Poetry has a purpose in that resspect. It's just the attitude that accompanies this way of thought and diction...it MIGHT not mean we're at fault, but we might try and examine why. I'm still trying to figure that out and try and merge the two together, while not loosing site of the importance and necessity of both.