Why is poetry important in general?
A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:Its loveliness increases; it will neverPass into nothingness; but still will keepA bower quiet for us, and a sleepFull of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathingA flowery band to bind us to the earth,Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearthOf noble natures, of the gloomy days,Of all the unhealthy and o'er-darkened waysMade for our searching: yes, in spite of all,Some shape of beauty moves away the pallFrom our dark spirits. Such the sun, the moon,Trees old and young, sprouting a shady boonFor simple sheep; and such are daffodilsWith the green world they live in; and clear rillsThat for themselves a cooling covert makeAgainst the hot season; the mid forest brake,Rich with a sprinkling of fair musk-rose blooms:And such too is the grandeur of the doomsWe have imagined for the mighty dead;All lovely tales that we have heard or read:An endless fountain of immortal drink,Pouring unto us from the heaven's brink.The above is the first stanza from John Keats’ Endymion. I don’t have anything in particular to say about the poem, but when talking about the importance of poetry, I felt compelled to include it because the poem as it exists itself is important and a thing of beauty.I’m not particularly well versed in the study of poetry, or even literature on the whole. I read books, I read poems, I come up with my own ideas, but it is for the joy of it, not academic exercises (I realise the two can be one and the same).So, as such, it wouldn’t be for me to write about the importance of poetry from an academic standpoint. I could try, but I wouldn’t do it justice, and points I might highlight would be far better found in books on poetry, or even here on Quora.Instead, I will simply talk about why poetry is important to me, and therefore why it might be important to you.To me, poetry is using condensed language to tell a story. It distils feelings down to their rawest state, compressing the language and displaying it in an almost formulaic manner.It causes your perspective to shift and your interpretations to mutate. Feel things more intensely. It goes beyond the seemingly human capacity to write or perceive or paint it, to the point that it reaches across from your soul to the soul of the poet.It’s that feeling that gives poetry its inherent importance.
What should one do in their 20s to avoid regrets in their 30s and 40s?
Noticed something funny?People in their 30’s purchase a house on a massive loan.Why?So that when they do become old, they can live in it.So what they do is buy a house for a 30 year mortgage or loan and work their ass off for the next 30 years to pay for the loan.Funny thing is - they are working like a dog - spending their entire youth chasing, running and making - so that they can live in a house during their old age.Funny right?And they do not even think of the possibility that - maybe, just maybe - they may die before hand or that something may happen before that - which can change the entire course of their lives.So what these people and many others like them do is - live for the future.First and foremost - How do you know you will live until the age of 40? or 30?How do you know you may not die within 1 year? Next month? Next week?How do you know?The fact is - no one knows!Everyone likes to assume or believe they will live until the ripe old age of 75 or 100. It is nice to have an Optimism Bias but it is better to be practical and realistic.No one knows if you or I will live until the age of 30 or 40.And whatever advice I may give you today - may not be applicable in another few years.Why?Because you have changed, people have changed, the environment has changed and our world has changed.Given a planet where the technology changes every few weeks - you seriously want someone to give you advice for the next 10 years?Well - if you really want something worthwhile to keep in mind and heart….here would be the advice I would give.Live everyday as if it were your last day on the planet.Do everything that needs to be done - so that if you were to die tomorrow - you would live your life knowing - you have no regrets.That doesn’t mean live it recklessly or take a credit card and blow it out it completely. What I mean is - do those things money cannot buy and those things that do not hurt others. And live in a manner that is true to your value system. And where ‘living for the future goes’ - cross that bridge when it arrives.Remember - do not waste what you have right now - for hopes and anticipation for a future you have not seen and do not know if it will ever come.That is why what you have right now - is called “The Present”.Loy Machedo