What do we mean by songs and poetry? There are a lot of possibilities. We might say that poetry occurs when somebody has the mental capability and artistic talent to put elegant words together, and says something that makes people think twice, and it may help people. However, poetry is not just clever ideas and interesting thoughts. If we view poetry as purely entertainment, then we are lost. We have to look at the role of poetry in society, as well as in our individual life situations.

Good poets create a climate, or an environment, through their way of thinking and their experience of how they relate with the cosmos. It is a holistic situation. Poems are not just pieces of entertainment or something that would be good to read in the New York poetry recital. Those are incidental. The point is how a particular work of art is going to serve humanity and sentient beings who can read poetry and understand language.

From “Poetry and Song,” in Cynicism and Magic: Intelligence and Intuition on the Buddhist Path, page 117.

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