OUR PAGES: Why Poetry? - 'National Review' to publish poem in every issue - Brief Article

National Review, July 23, 2001 by Jeffrey Hart

In its now distant earliest days National Review regularly included a worthy poem in its Books, Arts & Manners section, the poetry editor then being the master critic Hugh Kenner. Now, after many years, NR is undertaking to do so again.

From its beginning, NR has been attentive to language in its various modes, always seeking "the right word," if I may appropriate here the title of a recent book by William F. Buckley Jr. Poetry has many definitions, but common to most of them is the idea that, because of its formal qualities, poetry puts a special pressure on language. Every word counts. A good poem will not admit imprecision, banality, or even a hint of cliche. That is what Eliot meant when he wrote that poetry "purifies the language of the tribe."

With this in mind, NR is pleased to announce that beginning with this issue and continuing thereafter we will publish a poem of brief or moderate length. The great majority will be new poems, but once in a while readers will be refreshed from literary history. The energies of a fine poem are not exhausted but rather are refreshed by time. Our criteria will always be lucidity, importance, and pleasure. We incline toward traditional form, but do not excommunicate experiment. Unsolicited contributions will not be considered.