> time and interest for poetry I agree with your overall point, but it is a mistake to see poetry as a product of development. The Persian-speaking region is a

> time and interest for poetry I agree with your overall point, but it is a mistake to see poetry as a product of development. The Persian-speaking region is among the most poetry-mad of all peoples on earth, but rarely have they been wealthy. And the Manas, the epic-poetry tradition of Kyrgyzstan that has persisted for centuries, is losing ground among younger generations precisely because of access to modern luxuries like television and the internet. Moreover, when Milman Parry and Albert Lord wanted to study firsthand the kind of techniques that gave rise to Homer’s poetry, they headed for what was then among the poorest parts of Europe. The list could do on and on.