Some recent thoughts.

The focus on the artist and the work is unbalanced. Thee should be much more attention, especially in teaching, on the expanding experience of the viewer. The work of art is purposed as an encouragement to greater depth of experience by the viewer.

For poetry, the poem should be taught as “What do you experience while reading?” more than what do you think of the writer’s experience?” Judging  the writer shifts to  “how does he-she evoke  a new sense or awareness for the viewer”, Not how brilliant she-he is.

For poetry this means that the writer does not primarily write as a self expression, but to provide encouragement and examples for the reader to become more expressive..

Strikingly bad poetry can be in this sense “good” in that evokes new experience for the reader.

This shift makes art and poetry much more important in society, not as consumerist but as consciousness.

I think the core feeling here is democratic – make others more capable, take the focus off of self expression by the artist. Artistic self expression i just an invitation to yoyerurism.