The Complexity of Poetic Traditions

The ancient Greeks were producing astonishingly sophisticated poetry before their appearance on the world stage. And that's because the poet had an important job in the culture to spread the fame and reputation of the aristocrats. Contemporary Chinese poetry, contemporary Arabic poetry, Persian poetry is almost impossible unless it frees itself from the shackles of tradition. Unless you've read the previous thousand or two thousand years, you don't know what's going on.