Hola!
So with you on this. Let's make history now. All of us. Let's 'zoom' out our own recollections, reflections and make them large.

History begins here...right now! You have your finger right on the pulse (if I can use such an expression!)

ps

Your poerty/rap/journey through rhythm and emotions has so many shades. Love it, enlivening!

You get passionate about whatever you get passionate about - happens naturally. You can't just decide: okay I'm going to stop being passionate about hisory and start being passionate about the present. Doesn't work that way.

I'm not that bothered about history but I have a rare collection of pet verbs who rely heavily on the past. The future doesn't concern the actions of the English language.

I know this sounds horribly glib but how do we make progress and learn from mistakes if we ignore "history"? I think we should learn and go on to add our own innovatory twist to it - I've put a widely misinterpreted poem up about this subject on the blog ;)

I also like to know how I've come about and what MAY have gone on in my ancestor's past. I'm certainly proud of my heritage.

When/if I do get to Heaven I'm going to book a booth and a psychedelic viewer obscura and look at old battles, debates, key moments etc., hopefully not bedroom scenes as I'm hoping my lifetime work of spiritual purity will have worked itself through by then - I reckon that'll probably last me about 500years - I'm open to suggestions about the rest of eternity and am worried I'll get bored eventually...

Gab,
Of course we take comfort from escapism - this has always been part of the human condition. For some people, as you say, it's neighbourhood gossip or corrie or big brother (amounts to the same thing). Personally, I can't stand that kind of thing, but even I sit up and pay attention say if I'd hear that the lady at 36 Orchard Street has murdered her husband (never could stand Colin). To me, if you're going to indulge in escapism (and you damn well are) it'd be sad if the sum of your ambitions and imagination allow you only to escape to another red brick terrace house. But everyone indulges in some form of escape, be it sci-fi, fantasy, erotica, or in my case a good big syringe of horse.

I can see how this has got onto escapism, but my own point of view is that history gives me a VERY REAL sense of how the world is formed. I've just PUNISHED myself by reading a book on Stalin, horrible character, horribly dry book but I felt I needed to know more about this person who had such an impact on history and influence on the world today. It's important to me and my own outlook. I don't want to get bogged down in a micro debate on Stalin, by the way, I'm just illustrating a point.

In my view, that's WHY people should be interested in history. To be more informed on their world and to improve their perspective.

I think we should refine the term "escapist" to "dreamer" and then we can get somewhere in the context of being interested in history.

I also, personally, like it when a poet references history or even mythology (classical or otherwise) in their work, it shows knowledge and context and I think this is an important part of the role to keep history alive! It certainly was the case with the Bardic heritage from my own section of history.

All sounds very worthy, Ieuan, but any "should bes" are kind of irrelevant. I find I'm naturally interested in history, but if I wasn't I'm not sure I would feel that I should be. And if I wasn't interested in history and did feel like I should be, I still wouldn't be interested in it. Being interested in a thing is one of those things that either happens to you or doesn't without any conscious control from yourself.

History is so 'last year', don't you find?

I can see the [unintended] imprecation of a blanket "should be" - I guess I should be more careful of my syntax on here ;)
Irrespective, of the semantics, but correcting it slightly, having a more rounded view of the world's history "should" make one more appreciative and knowing of the world you live in today.

There are lessons to be had in history, of course, and also wisdom. I would go on to say having some knowledge of how we've developed feeds and supports the potential for improvement and enlightenment (in whatever form). Doesn't this, probably along with the habit of storing written word, give us a start on "lower" forms of life? Doesn't, on a higher level, learning the lessons of history prevent mistakes or catastrophes reoccurring?

I have to say totally blanking your mind to it, would be, I should think, be either ignorance, arrogance, supreme self confidence or divinely / intuitively received meta wisdom! I'm not suggesting anyone is, on here or otherwise, and that'd be the extreme point of the spectrum. Totally absorbing yourself in it, on the other hand, leads me to a quote from that supreme being himself Bono "You glorify the past when the future dries up".....I think he said it first...
I totally 'fess up to having an academic and leisurely interest in history, battles, Romans, castles etc. but I feel it's more than that.

Is it relevant to the "art" of poetry? Well, yes, in my opinion, and without wishing to stir a leviathan in slumber, there is a relationship between this and the thread on "What is poetry"... surely our "poetry" today is a an application of the layer upon layer of receiving the craft poetry over the years, subliminally, subconsciously, consciously or otherwise along with the occasional breaking of the mould. I think poetic nature is maybe, somehow, innate but there has to be some application and reference to what's gone before.

History I tell you.

:)