You, Too, Can Live a Poetic Life.

• Position: THE HUMANTIES - Poetry reading

Poetry reading is on the rise. Almost 29,000,000 U.S. adults now read poetry that is not required for work or school, the highest rate since the National Endowment for the Arts began doing a survey on the topic 15 years ago. The increased interest in poetry largely has been driven by young adults, women, and racial and ethnic minorities--people most likely to be involved in social protest and online activism.

This interest in poetry, however, also could result in more people desiring to live a "poetic life," says Piero Rivolta, the author of several books on poetry and, most recently, the novel, Bridge Through the Stars.

'You don't have to be a poet to have poetic feelings. Living a poetic life means keeping a bridge open from the past to the future... restoring the primary qualities that we all share as human beings--intuition, compassion, common sense, love, moral sentiment, admiration for nature, appreciation for beauty, and a sense of fairness, even if it is against the common trend of that moment."

Rivolta thinks people today expect quick fixes and instant solutions to problems, believing reason is the best approach. That, though, is a mistake, he maintains, and often creates more difficulties than it solves.

"With a strictly rational approach you can always prove a point. This approach occurs quite often in history and has...