[Jennifer Reeser]

What a fabulous subject line, Mr. Ferris! It compelled me to open this discussion.

I am grateful for the heads-up, as I had not even heard about this movie.

As far as your vital question goes, I always am reminded of C.S. Lewis's insistence that the Victorian poets were the "Golden Age" of poetry in English literature for the simple fact that they were the happiest writers, living in the most prosperous and peaceful times in its (then)-history.

As for me -- I have no opinion on it, other than to say that, of course, it depends on the poet's temperament and disposition, whether to choose to be inspired by the circumstance. But how many possess the extraordinary imagination required to lift oneself out of unhappiness, into the realm of "Happy Poetry"?

But, by contrast to Lewis's observation -- look at the sublime examples of literature which came out of the Stalinist regime, in miserable Socialist Russia. Anna Akhmatova, for one, who is now considered to be among the greatest that nation has ever produced. Has a more miserable poet ever lived, than she? There is also a difference between "happiness" and "joy," methinks. One changes with circumstance. The other is a spiritual state, a state of mind which does not. You may do something which robs my happiness, but take from me my joy? Good luck with that.

Anyhow -- thank you for the interesting post!

Jennifer