Raising the Bars: THE TRADITION by Jericho Brown

Please don’t believe any Poetry is Dying or Poetry is Being Resurrected think pieces you come across. Poetry has always been exactly where romantics seem to think it disappeared. The difference is that the commercial appeal is rising again; poetry made a few people a profit, and it therefore rose in prominence for those that weren’t previously invested. In reality, just like fiction has sci-fi, YA, historical, and other sub-genres – all with their own level of commercial appeal – so does poetry. This column isn’t so much a judgment on quality between poets that lived 100 years ago and poets that post 25 times a month on Instagram, but rather a commentary on the intent. Some are driven to answer questions for their readers that desire to be brought under the tent. Some poets ask questions that beget more questions on a path of discovery. Aptly named Raising the Bars, this series seeks to dig into the craft of some of the most talked about poetry books being released today: breaking them down in a way that doesn’t necessitate a Master’s in Fine Arts to understand and appreciate the craft of it all. We’re hoping to regularly bring you something new, and help you see poetry where it is today and where it has always been. Enjoy. The Tradition by Jericho Brown In the eye of The Tradition is one of the most complete interrogations of life, death, love, inheritance, and Blackness. It is more As the World Turns than The Bold & The Beautiful, and it has arrived just in time to gath…