Joel Hagstrom- The Importance of Poetry and Capturing Culture

As we have talked about poetry throughout this semester and discussed its meaning and how it opens up the world to us, I wanted discover some other reasons why it plays such an important role in our culture.  I learned that even the most ancient of peoples would use poetry and that it reaches everyone regardless of social standing.  I also read that poetry relies on the writer's feelings, background, and perceptions.  All of these factors contribute to the idea that poetry is a very important aspect of society and culture as a whole.  Poetry can be used a way that is separate from the recordings of history done by historians.  Poetry throughout the ages captures the emotional aspects of societies as well as cultural norms and traditions.  We as humans are not simple creatures.  By only capturing major events and other superficial occurrences we do not learn anything about the people who used to inhabit this planet. Poetry is the medium that closes the gap between historical documentation and the people that were actually involved in it.  I feel like poetry can be used as a "history book" to view cultures from civilizations that existed thousands of years ago to the modern day.  I am still curious as to what other major cultural impacts poetry has had on the development of our human society.  What are some reasons you can think of?