# Poetry is not in Vogue- It was never meant to be | Somrita Urni Ganguly | TEDxRPGIS Youth

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l0hLW5PZUE
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/1l0hLW5PZUE
Generated: 2025-12-02T17:46:09.881+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Somrita Urni Ganguly argues that poetry, unlike AI-generated content, possesses a visceral reality, profound emotional depth, and essential human vulnerability that technology cannot replicate, emphasizing that true art requires genuine feeling and sacrifice, not mere imitation.

**Key Points:**
- Ganguly recounts a personal story about receiving a phone call from an estranged mother and daughter who were crying and repeating the phrase, "How can you do this to me?"
- She notes that the letters she sent back, 61 of them, went unanswered, leading her to realize the futility of trying to force love or comfort onto those determined to leave.
- The speaker contrasts the authentic, messy reality of human experience—including the pain of betrayal and heartbreak—with AI's inability to genuinely feel or create art that stems from such depths.
- Ganguly states that poetry is not another job or a routine; it is a visceral, deeply felt process of purification and learning, which AI cannot replicate because it cannot feel.
- She challenges the audience to consider what AI is posing as—a substitute for genuine human connection and creativity, citing examples like AI writing poetry or doing laundry as superficial conveniences.
- The speaker concludes that the price of authentic art (like poetry or suffering) is high, involving real blood, skin, and bone, something AI cannot simulate.
- The talk contrasts the 'soul-sucking' nature of routine with the necessary rawness, vulnerability, and anger required for authentic artistic expression.

![Screenshot at 00:02: Somrita Urni Ganguly standing on stage beneath the title slide that reads, "it was never meant to be," introducing her talk about the limits of imitation versus authentic human experience.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1l0hLW5PZUE/00-00-02.png)

**Context:** Somrita Urni Ganguly delivers a TEDx talk titled, "Poetry is not in Vogue- It was never meant to be," presented at TEDxRPGIS Youth 2025 in Kolkata on October 31, 2025. Ganguly, identified as a Professor for Literary Translator, uses personal anecdotes about difficult relationships and the nature of artistic creation to argue for the irreplaceable value of genuine human emotion and vulnerability, especially within poetry, in an era increasingly dominated by Artificial Intelligence.

## Detailed Analysis

Somrita Urni Ganguly begins by recounting a powerful, painful memory of receiving a phone call from an estranged mother and daughter repeating, "How can you do this to me?" She highlights the subsequent silence, noting that 61 letters she sent remained unanswered, leading to the realization that one cannot force love or comfort onto those determined to leave. This personal narrative sets the stage for her core argument: the contrast between authentic human experience and the superficiality of technology, particularly AI. Ganguly expresses her love for people who are unashamed to cry in their desperation, suggesting that this raw vulnerability holds an honesty that technology lacks. She then directly addresses the role of poetry, asserting that it is not just another job or a routine to follow trends like 'sustainability season' or 'feminist poetry.' Instead, poetry is a visceral, deeply felt process of purification and learning, which AI cannot replicate because it cannot truly feel. She uses the analogy of an Odissi dancer needing hours of practice or a swimmer needing to prepare for the water, emphasizing that true art requires sacrifice and engagement with real pain and emotion. Ganguly critiques the modern tendency to seek convenience over depth, citing examples of asking AI to write poetry, do laundry, or clean floors, suggesting these actions bypass the difficult, necessary work of being human. She concludes that the authenticity of poetry lies in its rawness, its embodiment in flesh and blood, and the willingness of the artist to be vulnerable, something AI can only mimic, never truly achieve.

### Opening Anecdote

- Recounting the phone call from estranged mother/daughter repeating "How can you do this to me?"
- Realizing 61 unanswered letters meant she could not force love or comfort onto those determined to leave
- Recognizing the inherent honesty in unashamed vulnerability.

### The Role of Poetry vs. AI

- Poetry is visceral, deeply felt, and a process of purification/learning, not a routine or trend to follow
- AI is merely imitative and cannot feel empathy or experience the depths of human suffering required for authentic art.

### Critique of Convenience Culture

- Questioning why AI is used to make living convenient (e.g., writing poetry, doing laundry, cleaning floors) instead of challenging us to engage deeply
- AI will write poetry on her behalf, but it cannot feel the pain behind it.

### Conclusion and Call to Action

- Poetry must be real and raw, involving flesh, blood, and vulnerability, which AI cannot replicate
- Urging the audience to listen to the voice of the artist, not the imitation.

![Screenshot at 00:00: The opening slide displays the logo for RP Goenka International School, setting the context for the event as a youth-focused platform.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1l0hLW5PZUE/00-00-00.png)
![Screenshot at 00:05: Somrita Urni Ganguly begins speaking on stage, with the title slide visible behind her: "The Girl on the Phone."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1l0hLW5PZUE/00-00-05.png)
![Screenshot at 01:22: A black and white image appears on the screen with the text: "Have I really been able to go over to the other side?"](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1l0hLW5PZUE/00-01-22.png)
![Screenshot at 03:01: A new slide appears showing a silhouette walking down a rainy, cobblestone street with the quote: "You cannot make lovers stay when they're determined to go away."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1l0hLW5PZUE/00-03-01.png)
![Screenshot at 05:50: The screen updates to show text acknowledging the source material: "'The Girl on the Phone' was commissioned by and published in Stranger Stories, Issue 2, USA, 2020..."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/1l0hLW5PZUE/00-05-50.png)