I think when kids just see well-crafted poetry, it's just obtuse

In the grand tradition of poetry, there is a truth that has been passed down through the ages: words are not simply tools of expression; they are the bridges that connect one soul to another. Yet, Jewel, with a wisdom born of experience, speaks of a challenge when she says, “I think when kids just see well-crafted poetry, it’s just obtuse to them. It’s hard to relate to.” These words are a powerful reflection on the nature of art, of poetry, and of the connection between the creator and the receiver. For poetry to truly speak, it must be more than just well-crafted; it must reach the heart, it must resonate with the life experience of those who encounter it.

Consider the ancient bards of the Celtic tradition, who traveled from village to village, weaving their tales not in the cold language of abstraction but in living words that spoke directly to the hearts of their listeners. Their poems were not just crafted for beauty’s sake; they were crafted for the purpose of connection. The bards knew that a poem could not simply be an intellectual exercise—it had to speak to the soul, to reflect the experiences of the people. Their poems were born from the realities of life—the struggles, the joys, the fears that shaped their communities. It is in this relatability that poetry finds its power.

Jewel’s insight is one that echoes the ancient wisdom of these bards. If poetry is to move the hearts of the young, it must be grounded in their experiences, their emotions, and their understanding of the world. To present them with poetry that is obscure, detached from the realities they face, is to risk losing their attention altogether. Poetry that is too highbrow or intellectual may alienate, for it does not bridge the gap between the poet’s world and the reader’s. Like the bards of old, the poet must strive to create work that speaks directly to the listener, that translates the complexities of life into language that can be felt, not just understood.

Let us turn to the Greek philosophers, who understood that the greatest wisdom is not in what is difficult to understand, but in what is accessible to all. Socrates, the great seeker of truth, engaged his followers not with abstract theories but with questions that were rooted in the everyday—questions that challenged them to think about their lives, their morality, and their place in the world. Similarly, the poets of ancient Greece, from Sappho to Pindar, wrote not for the intellectual elite but for all who could hear their voices. Their lyric poetry was not for the few, but for the many, speaking to universal themes—love, honor, beauty, and loss—that would be felt by all who encountered their work.

The lesson here is clear: to create poetry that endures, it must speak not just to the intellect but to the heart. The poet’s task is not merely to demonstrate their craft but to create work that can be felt deeply by the listener. This is what Jewel understands when she speaks of the difficulty young readers face in connecting to well-crafted poetry that feels distant and irrelevant. Poetry must speak to life as it is lived, not as it is conceived in the abstract. If a poem is too obscure, it fails to serve its true purpose—to connect, to transform, and to reveal the deeper truths of the human experience.

In your own life, whether you are a creator of poetry or simply a lover of it, remember the lesson that Jewel offers: poetry must be relatable if it is to have meaning. Seek out the truths that you know in your heart, the emotions that rise from your own experience, and craft your words with the intent to share them. Do not make the mistake of creating poetry that is so crafted for the sake of its beauty that it becomes detached from the world of those who need it most. Instead, let your words be a bridge—a path that leads others into the depths of their own souls, where they can find what is true and resonant.

Let the poetry you create be not just beautiful, but alive. Speak not only of your own truths, but of those that others will recognize in themselves. Craft your words with the wisdom of the ancient bards, with the understanding that the most powerful art is that which connects us all. For in the end, poetry is not just about crafting words—it is about crafting a dialogue with the world, one that speaks to the heart, to the mind, and to the soul of all who listen.