Ranting in Contemporary Love Poetry

Throughout the different eras of literary history including the present, contemporary love poets have expressed, or voiced their disgruntled thoughts and feelings poetically, in many different ways. These could be referred to as poetic ranting.

What is ranting?

Ranting is speaking, arguing or complaining vociferously, in an aggressive, or potentially violent manner that reveals varying degrees of anger, frustration or intolerance. Ranting in contemporary love poetry expresses these same kinds of impassioned utterances, but in a poetic voice. Ranting has a time element to it, as it generally continues over a long period of time. It is like an incessant record that never seems to end. It goes on and on.

Why do contemporary love poets rant?

Contemporary love poets are people and people get angry. All contemporary love poetry is not focused on love in a positive, constructive manner. Love also has a negative, unloving or non-love aspect to it. Poetically objecting to non-love, lies within the realm of poetic freedom in conjunction with the contemporary love poet's ability of expression.

The vociferous nature of a poetic ranting is not unlike any other kind of ranting by mankind. Consider for instance, ranting in social protests, political rebellion, etc. The difference with contemporary love poetry lies in how it is stated, recorded or documented poetically, within its own era. Poetic ranting is not prosaic as such, even though at times, it may appear to be stated, written or read more like prose than poetry.

Ranting by a contemporary love poet is often reflected in his or her contemporary love poetry during its era of writing, or discovered by critics and other readers, in a later era. At times, ranting appears to be an angry plea by a contemporary love poet that directed towards others who he or she wants to be more humane, loving, kind and compassionate. It may be loud cry for justice from a humble contemporary love poet expressing his or her own feelings of helplessness and frustration with respect to the hungry and hurting world, in his or her era.

Ranting in contemporary love poetry may be a serious attempt to attract the attention of others to current issues of concern, like the abuse of women, children and the elderly during times of war. Ranting about war is evident in contemporary love poetry in every era, including the current one, even though it may not be recognized as such immediately.

The response to ranting may be one that happens immediately by others who are equally concerned about the same thing, at that particular time in the same era. Ranting may also result in growing indifference, as ranting is not necessarily easy to 'listen' to, or read in contemporary love poetry. Some may seek to silence the ranter rather than to respond to it in a positive, constructive manner that offers a solution, even if only temporary.

Ranting on a personal level may be comprehended by later critics or readers as being a contemporary love poet's 'woe is me' mode, particularly when the ranting seems endless in nature. Initially, it may be taken seriously, but when it goes on far too long, others tend to close their ears to it. The critics may label the continually ranting contemporary love poet as being mentally unstable, which may not be the case at all, but rather his or her way of expressing him or herself poetically. Or the radical ranting contemporary love poet may be regarded as a raving lunatic in his or her era, as well as by others later. If the ranting if a contemporary love poet is too radical, he or she may simply be regarded as being 'off on a tangent', again and again.

To some, ranting in contemporary love poetry may be perceived as thought provoking and revealing, with respect to the truth about an era. Wild ranting that appears to be unreasonable, vehement, or 'shouts' at its reader, may upset potential contemporary love poetry readers. There are also those who view ranting in terms of personal 'targeting' by contemporary love poets. To them, it may be frightening in terms of its potential implications.

Thus, the wise contemporary love poet learns to use discretion when ranting in any era.