Introduction
A poet is a person who has a poetic imagination, thought, eloquence expression and creation. On the other hand, poetry is an imaginative awareness expressed by means of sounds, rhythmic language, and meaning with an aim of evoking emotional response. “Poetical” is the exhibition of rhythmical or imaginative quality by mean of poetry, while “personal” refers to a particular individual or person. “Political” may refer to public affairs of a particular country or government.
It can also be said that “political” are the strategies or ideas of specific groups or party in a country, which are engaged in politics. There were different women movements in the United States advocating for women position in the leadership arena and argued that they were poetical because they were political.
Basically, they based their argument on the idea that poetical is political and personal is political because personal experience enhances political ability and capability. During women’s movement protests, poets were mainly women in learning institutions such as tutors and students among others.
There are several poets that emerged during this time, for instance, Margaret Atwood. Therefore, personal experience enhances political ability, capability and experience. This paper discusses poets of the women’s movement that challenged and protested while arguing that personal is political, but with main focus on Margaret Atwood who was a poet and demonstrated this not only in her writing but her life too.
The concept “personal is political” is important to us today, because it can help in choosing leaders with political capabilities and abilities based on their personal experience. Political ability may be foreseen through personal ability and experience. Moreover, political ability and capability may be expressed through personal experiences.
Margaret Atwood is a poet that was born on 1939, at Ottawa, Ontario. Atwood spent most of her childhood years in North Quebec bush because her dad worked as an entomologist, and later moved to Toronto after seven years. Atwood writes different types of literal work, for instance, critical studies, radio scripts, children books, short stories and screenplays. Furthermore, Atwood is considered to be among the most eminent and successful poets and novelist not only in Canada, but the entire globe.
She has demonstrated her literal skills and most of her works have been translated into different languages globally and are very popular among, thus her works are globally accepted. Moreover, Atwood has also participated in editing of different books and most of her articles and literally works have featured in different magazine columns (Gowdy 29).
After graduation, and before concentrating on poetry writing, Atwood worked as a teacher of English language , and occupied different positions in writer residence and academic posts. However, she has also worked as a full-time writer, and served in higher leadership positions in writer unions in Canada, especially as president of such unions. Her personal experience as a writer earned her political responsibility in different areas, especially writers unions. Her personal experience as a writer and success in different script writings and poetic works enhanced her political capability and ability, hence she could occupy effectively different political positions. Political positions are not entirely elective political posts, but public responsibility positions (McCarthy 59).
Atwood also received several awards during her career as a writer due to recognition of her literal work and writing skills. Furthermore, most of her literal works have been adopted for screen play and stage performances in different countries. She has also earned several literal awards and societal memberships.
She has also been awarded different honorary degrees. Atwood visited different countries and places hence enhanced her understanding of the different people need and acquired the ability to understand and interact with people from all over the world (Gowdy 33).
Atwood served in various capacities despite being a poet in Canada. This helped her earn respectful position in the society among both, men and women. The leadership positions that Atwood was granted were mainly due to her personal experience in poetry and book writing. She served in different leadership positions among writers especially as their president in different unions of writers in Canada and globally.
She mainly gained experience from her early life and career life as a teacher and later as a full time writer. She also advocated for the rights of women and hence proved worthy of political responsibility due to her personal success. The positions enhanced her personal experience in responsibility and hence prepared her for political responsibility. Therefore, it is evident that personal experience enhances political capability, ability and experience (McCarthy 68).
Atwood lived in different countries of the world because her work was acceptable not only in Canada but in the entire globe. This also enabled her to contribute to different magazine columns and edit different books from different countries and places.
Her poems, books and literal work were also translated into more than thirty native languages hence increasing access and understanding of her works by different people in the globe. Living in different places enabled her to interact with different people and learn how to interact with different people based on their cultural beliefs and values. Living with different people and understanding them better enabled her to personally and effectively interact with different people from different places.
It also prepared her for better understanding of different people. This not only enhanced her personal experience in dealing with different people but also political ability, capability and experience in dealing with different people as a leader. It also enabled her to effectively serve as union president for the different writers unions that she served. Therefore, it is true that personal experience enhances political ability, capability and experience (Gowdy 35).
Atwood wrote poems, edited books, and magazine columns among others. She expanded her knowledge and ability in the literal field and created different literal works. Generally, she was diverse and addressed different groups of people in the society, for instance, she addressed children and women concern among others.
This enhanced her understanding of different kinds of people in the society because she had to carry out research to ascertain what different people preferred and liked most. It enabled her to effectively deal with people from different age groups and adequately address their needs.
This not only enhanced her personal relation with people from different age groups, but also her political ability and capability to deal with such people too. It also enabled her to appeal to different groups of people in the society. Therefore, it is true that personal experience enhances political ability, experience and capability (McCarthy 77).
Conclusion
The concept “personal is political” is important to us in the contemporary society in different ways, for instance, it assists in solving political problems. Personal problems can be considered political problems. Therefore, it may assist in enhancing collective action hence obtaining collective solution.
It may also be used in determining the most effective and efficient leaders because leadership skills and experience may be evaluated through personal experience in life. Therefore, it is true that personal is political because personal experience may be used to evaluate political ability and capability.
Works Cited
Gowdy, John. “Poetical is Political: contemporary women poets.” International Journal of literally works 14.1 (2007): 27-36. Print.
McCarthy, David. “Personal is Political”. International poetry review 12.3 (2010): 56-78. Print.