Today in 1770 William Wordsworth was born. Students of literary history will know Wordsworth as one of the founders of the Romantic movement, which debuted with the publication of Lyrical Ballads in 1798. Wordsworth’s partner was Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of my heroes.

One of the criticisms you’ll find of contemporary culture is that people don’t read poetry any more. This is typically spoken with derision and everyone has their own ideas as to why poetry isn’t enjoyed by the general public any more.

Some people blame the poets while others lay the burden at the feet of public education. I think the problem is one of competition.

In 1798 there were no televisions, no radios, no telephones, and certainly no Internet. The primary means of entertainment then outside of social relations was reading. Poetry had a lot of more influence in most people’s lives because it was palatable to the means of production and the mode of communication that was popular. Plus, there were fewer distractions.

All of that changed in the 20th century with the advent of modern technology. The last literary movement that enjoyed a wide following was the Victorians. After that, poetry splintered into niche movements. But the 21st century shows some promise.

Why The Internet Will Revive Poetry
I’ve written about this before. The Internet shows a lot of promise to get people back into the enjoyment of poetry. While certain poets in the 20th century have enjoyed a wide readership, most poets have not been known outside of academia or their own circle. I believe there will be some 21st century poets who will be known widely beyond their circle of friends and it is largely due to digital distribution systems that will allow that to happen. But, first, poets have to learn to use them.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog post about vanity publishing in the Internet age. My message was largely misunderstood or misinterpreted by readers, but I’m not interested in playing the blame game. I am working on a follow up to clarify the misunderstanding. I will say, however, that simply throwing up a blog and calling oneself a publisher won’t do.

A blog is a very good first step, or perhaps a second step for some. But there are far more resources available to the poet publishing online than a blog and a website.

For the most part, online publishing hasn’t even begun yet. We are still at the early stage of Gutenberg’s Press when only a handful of people knew how to operate it, and they quite poorly. The best of Internet publishing, and that includes independent publishing, is yet to come.

Once poets, and other publishers, learn the full scale of what can be accomplished with Internet publishing, you can expect great things that have not yet been imagined. Blogs will be mere baby toys (they almost are now). The comparison can be likened to the difference between Dolby Surround Digital and silent pictures. That’s how far we have to go, but when we get there the poet who can incorporate visual and audio elements effectively with the printed word will capture hearts and minds. The 21st century will discover its William Shakespeare.