Is poetry—and by extension other forms of art and creativity—”worth it” in a world of practical concerns and troubles? The Irish poet Maurice Riordan provides a nuanced answer:

“I suspect most people who write poetry, myself included, have squandered the chance to do something more worthwhile for the world. I do have faith in the creative imagination, overall, from the cave paintings to rap, as well as its role in mathematics and science, and including, too, the religious and moral imagination. Human history would be only diabolic without it. And with it? Perhaps not good enough—who knows yet.”

—Peter Mishler, “Maurice Riordan on Writing Rituals, the Creative Imagination, and His Journey as a Poet,” Literary Hub, December 12, 2025