1312: small comment by Sonia Sanchez - The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily Episode: 1312: Small Comment by Sonia Sánchez
Release Date: March 13, 2025
Host: Major Jackson
Produced by: American Public Media in partnership with The Poetry Foundation
Supported by: National Endowment for the Arts

Introduction

In Episode 1312 of The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily, host Major Jackson delves into the fleeting nature of poets' reputations in contemporary society. Through a thoughtful exploration of poetic legacy and relevance, Jackson examines the challenges modern poets face in maintaining enduring recognition.

The Ephemeral Reputation of Poets

Major Jackson opens the discussion by highlighting a recurring theme among his peers: the transient fame of poets. He reflects on how poets who were once celebrated and widely recognized often fade into obscurity over time.

“A frequent topic of conversation lately with friends is the relatively short-lived reputations of poets.”
(00:31)

Jackson reminisces about poets who once dominated anthologies, media interviews, classroom syllabi, and received prestigious awards. He contrasts this with the current landscape, where mentioning these poets to younger generations elicits little to no recognition.

“We mourn the poets who were giants to us, who ushered our own entree into the art.”
(01:00)

Comparing Past and Present Literary Landscapes

The discussion progresses to analyze why poets from previous generations maintain a lasting legacy while many contemporary poets do not. Jackson draws parallels with other art forms, questioning if an emergent jazz saxophonist today would fail to recognize legends like John Coltrane.

“Would an emergent jazz saxophonist not know the name or have listened to the iconic John Coltrane?”
(02:15)

He contemplates factors contributing to this phenomenon, such as:

Canonicity and Literary Milestones: The establishment of literary canons once solidified poets' statuses, but this path is less defined today.
Social Media's Role: While social media serves as a platform for poetry, it may not adequately capture the depth and breadth of great poetic works.

“Maybe we suffer recency bias and can only focus on the new poet everyone is talking about.”
(03:20)

Jackson also considers whether a lack of a shared aesthetic standard leads to the overlooking of older poets, or if the inherently egocentric nature of art today alienates audiences from elder voices.

Relevance and Resonance in Poetry

Despite the challenges, Jackson remains optimistic about the poets who resonate deeply by addressing the needs of the people, both politically and spiritually. He emphasizes the importance of language and idioms that reflect the collective identity and experiences of the audience.

“Their idioms and use of language remain relevant to our sense of ourselves.”
(04:50)

Analysis of Sonia Sánchez's "Small Comment"

The centerpiece of the episode is Major Jackson's analysis of Sonia Sánchez's poem "Small Comment." He underscores the poem's pertinence to contemporary political realities, highlighting Sánchez's incisive critique of human nature and societal structures.

“The nature of the beast is the man.”
(05:10)

Jackson breaks down Sánchez's exploration of humanity's bestial instincts, discussing themes of survival, competition, and the inherent struggle for superiority. He connects these themes to modern societal dynamics, suggesting that Sánchez's work remains profoundly relevant.

“The man is a natural beast, bestial in his lust, natural in his bestiality in expanding and growing on the national scene to be the most bestial and natural of any beast.”
(05:45)

Through this analysis, Jackson invites listeners to reflect on the enduring power of poetry to illuminate and critique the human condition.

Conclusion

Major Jackson wraps up the episode by reinforcing the enduring significance of poetry as a medium for reflection and societal commentary. He encourages listeners to engage with both emerging and established poets, fostering a deeper appreciation for the art form's ability to capture and challenge the complexities of human experience.

Additional Resources

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

“A frequent topic of conversation lately with friends is the relatively short-lived reputations of poets.” (00:31)
“We mourn the poets who were giants to us, who ushered our own entree into the art.” (01:00)
“Would an emergent jazz saxophonist not know the name or have listened to the iconic John Coltrane?” (02:15)
“Maybe we suffer recency bias and can only focus on the new poet everyone is talking about.” (03:20)
“Their idioms and use of language remain relevant to our sense of ourselves.” (04:50)
“The nature of the beast is the man.” (05:10)
“The man is a natural beast, bestial in his lust, natural in his bestiality in expanding and growing on the national scene to be the most bestial and natural of any beast.” (05:45)

Note: Advertisements and non-content segments were excluded to focus solely on the episode's substantive discussions.

Transcript

A (0:00)

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B (0:31)

Cheese had many great things. Maple flavored griddle cakes isn't one of them. McDonald's breakfast comes first. I'm Major Jackson and this is the Slowdown A frequent topic of conversation lately with friends is the relatively short lived reputations of poets. This thread comes up whenever we recall a poem or poet for whom no one reads or teaches anymore. We mourn the poet's who were giants to us, who ushered our own entree into the art. They appeared in select anthologies, were interviewed on public radio and television, showed up frequently on classroom syllabi, and of course won major awards. Back then we read whatever we could get our hands on and went broke buying their first editions. A new poem published in a prestigious journal was a bona fide literary event. Now we are shocked whenever mention of their names to our students is met with blank stares. We ask, would an emergent jazz saxophonist not know the name or have listened to the iconic John Coltrane? From Nobel laureates to Pulitzer Prize winners, no one is spared once their Collected Poems is published. Typically, the coffin is nailed shut. The road to canonicity is determined and left up to future readers. If I am among fellow poets, this conversation is typically sobering. None of us have dreams of becoming the next Shakespeare or Langston Hughes. We are not delusional. We simply realize that the already small audience for our poems will likely get smaller. We see the signs on the wall. Still, we cannot help but speculate as to why social media is a good source for poetry, but does not begin to capture the wealth of great poetry to discover. Maybe yesterday's poets were boasted by a noun outdated critical conversation that held them up as exemplars. Maybe the lack of a shared aesthetic where we all agree what a great poem or book looks like has us overlook older poets. Maybe we suffer recency bias and can only focus on the new poet everyone is talking about. The more cynical of us believe the egocentric nature of the art has caught up with us. We lack a regard for elder voices because we cannot see ourselves in them or the relevance of their words? I do not have any answers, but I can say that those who speak to the needs of the people, whether politically or spiritually, are those whom we wish to invite into our ears and imagination. Their idioms and use of language remain relevant to our sense of ourselves. Today's sharp poem was written by one of our most revered living poets. Its analysis could not be more pertinent to our political reality today. Small comment by Sonia Sanchez the nature of the beast is the man. Or, to be more specific, the nature of the man is his bestial nature. Or to bring it to its elemental terms, the nature of nature is the bestial survival of the fittest, the strongest, the richest. Or to really examine the scene, we could say that the nature of any beast is bestial, unnatural and natural in its struggle for superiority and survival. But to really be with it, we will say that the man is a natural beast, bestial in his lust, natural in his bestiality in expanding and growing on the national scene to be the most bestial and natural of any beast. You dig? The Slowdown is a production of American Public Media in partnership with the Poetry Foundation. This project is also supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. On the web@arts.gov to get a poem delivered to you daily, go to slowdownshow.org and sign up for our newsletter and find us on Instagram at Slowdown show and blue sky. Slowdownshow.org.