Why I hate poetry

When you open books you often find acknowlegements or dedications. I know that many people don't read these. I do. I read quotes that serve as introductions. I don't LIKE prologues, but I read them in case they have something to say (which quite often they don't). But books that start with poems give me the rash. I hate poetry.

Poetry is all about form. I am all about content.
Poetry is vain. It is pretentious. And it almost always sounds ridiculous when read out loud.

Someone please tell me why it is that we squeeze words in the corset of a dactylus or why anyone would want to do that? And puleeaaasssee don't mention limericks - they are nerve-wrecking!

I allow exceptions to the rule. Very seldom I find a poem that speaks to me. Even more seldom I can hear someone read a poem without starting to itch allover. One of these exceptions is John Hannah reading W.H. Audens "Funeral Blues" in "Four Weddings and a Funeral". I admit to liking that even (but I think half of that is due to the cute scottish accent). My, that was just beautifully done and Hannah so clearly transmitted that well-known feeling of utter hopelessness. If I can like any poetry it would likely be alliterative verse. Or scottish rhyming slang.


But mostly poetry is wasted on me.