Poets are Hippies
Well, I believe that this stereotype comes from the late sixties and early seventies. This was the time when people were protesting the wars and the unjustice due to the inequality of rights. Many people were inspired by John Lennon’s form of protest which was through music and art. During this period people escaped from their reality by exploring their artistic sides. A lot of people wrote poetry and became really popular. Thus the stereotypical image of a long haired flower child rambling about nature.
Writing in lyrics was a form of venting and expressing the individual views of other different other people during a period of anti- war activism. Clearly it is illogical to stereotype an entire time period where people expressed their views on life. Stereotyping poets as hippies is also not very factual since there have been dozens of credited poets throughout history.
By stereotyping poets you are criticizing their ability to write. Not everyone fits into a stereotype and even though it can apply to certain people it may not pertain to others. Stereotyping occurs often in writing throughout history. As a writer, one needs to avoid stereotypical claims and stay away from subject where you be biased. However, it is always good to recognize where stereotypes play an important role in perfecting their writing skill.
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I agree that this stereotype is a bit silly. I wonder, though, what it connotes about both "poets" and "hippies." Can you think of examples from the sixties and seventies?
And you're right, history has had far more than "dozens" of successful poets outside of nature writing or whatever else may be stereotyped as "hippie" poetry. Conversely, there may be more value to "hippie" poets than the now-negative label allows. (That is, of course, if you concede that the term has a negative connotation at all.)
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