Should tent poles bend?

I just bought a new Sierra Designs Nomad 4.2 and did a test pitch in my house. Several sections of one of the poles is now bent slightly.
Is this normal...or should tent poles never permenantly bend?

Thanks.

Depends on what you mean by "bent." I looked at a photo of this tent online. It looks similar to a lot of tents, including one I have from another manufacturer. The dome design will cause the poles to flex at the top of the dome. Unless the tube has visibly crimped (has an actual dent in it), I wouldn't worry about it too much. You may want to contact the seller and ask them about the warranty in case a pole does fail.

I've never heard of a permanent bend in any fiberglass tent pole. Old-style aluminum tent poles are a different story. Definately check the warrenty.

If the the curvature is tight for your tent then aluminum poles will take a permanent bend. The pole will still work fine but you should be careful in the future to make sure the bend is aligned with the arch. If you keep bending the pole in opposite directions at each set-up you could cause a failure due to metal fatigue. Carbon fiber poles will not bend like aluminum and will always come back straight, but if you flex them beyond their limit they will break (as will aluminum).