I see a resurgence of interest in poetry. I am less optimistic

Hear the voice of Rita Dove, poet of grace and former laureate of a nation, who declared: “I see a resurgence of interest in poetry. I am less optimistic about the prospects for the arts when it comes to federal funding.” In this sentence, two truths walk side by side—one filled with hope, the other shadowed by concern. On the one hand, she witnesses the eternal flame of poetry rising anew in the hearts of people; on the other, she warns that without material support, the arts may suffer, their growth hindered, their reach diminished.

The meaning is layered. A resurgence of poetry means that the hunger for verse, for rhythm, for truth expressed in heightened language, has never truly died. Even in a world of machines, speed, and noise, people turn back to poems for solace, for clarity, for connection. Poetry is eternal; it finds a way into classrooms, onto stages, into songs, and across the voices of ordinary people. But while the inner spirit revives, the outer structures—the institutions, the funding, the societal commitment to nurture the arts—often falter. Dove reminds us that inspiration alone is not enough; art requires care, resources, and protection if it is to flourish beyond individual sparks.

History testifies to this balance between spirit and support. Consider the age of Pericles in Athens, when the city not only honored its poets but funded their performances, building theaters where tragedies and comedies shaped the very soul of democracy. That golden age of drama was possible because the people’s interest was met with their leaders’ commitment. Contrast this with times of neglect—when governments stripped funding from schools, when artists were left adrift, when voices that could have lifted nations were silenced by poverty. The inner fire burned still, but without fuel, it struggled to spread.

Dove speaks from her vantage as a witness of America, where private hunger for poetry grows, but public structures falter. She has seen young people return to verse through spoken word and performance, their passion undeniable. Yet she has also seen libraries struggle, arts programs vanish from schools, and national priorities shift away from cultural investment. Her words echo a timeless tension: the people’s spirit is willing, but society’s institutions may not yet be ready to match their desire.

This tension carries a heroic warning. For if the arts are not sustained, they risk becoming fragile, confined to only the privileged who can afford them. A resurgence of poetry among the people must be met with responsibility from the community and its leaders. To neglect the arts is to weaken the very fabric of a nation, for art is not luxury—it is the measure of a people’s soul. To fund missiles and machines while starving poets and painters is to mistake strength for power, forgetting that what endures in history is not only battles won, but songs sung.

The lesson, then, is clear: if we see the resurgence, we must also do the work of sustaining it. Interest is not enough. A garden of poetry may sprout naturally, but without water and care, it will not bear fruit in abundance. Citizens must demand that schools, communities, and governments recognize the importance of art. Individuals must support artists not only with applause but with real commitment, so that their voices may continue to enrich the world.

Practical steps follow. Attend poetry readings, and bring others with you. Buy books of living poets, not only of the dead. Support arts programs in schools, libraries, and community centers. Raise your voice when funding is threatened, reminding leaders that art is as vital to the nation’s survival as bread. And in your own life, cultivate poetry, for every reader, every reciter, every listener is part of the great resurgence Dove spoke of.

Thus her words endure: “I see a resurgence of interest in poetry… I am less optimistic about the arts when it comes to federal funding.” Let us not let this contrast remain. Let us rise to meet the hunger of the people with the nourishment of support. For when poetry thrives, a nation thrives, and when the arts are sustained, they become not only mirrors of the soul but lights to guide generations yet unborn.