[Michael Juster]

http://classicalpoets.org/whitworth-...by-sally-cook/

[Terese Coe]

John Whitworth's poems are a joy unlike any other.

Of course, as George Szirtes reminds us, comparisons are odious, but hearing Whitworth aloud is one of the exquisite lessons in vocalizing humor.

No comment on politics here!

[Catherine Chandler]

I enjoyed Cook's poem, but the comments below it were infinitely more entertaining.

[Aaron Novick]

Long discussion of this poem already here

[Ian Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Catherine Chandler

I enjoyed Cook's poem, but the comments below it were infinitely more entertaining.

Wow. I feel sorry for Michael Burch. What a blowhard that other guy is. And what a stupid poem. Whitworth is good, but that kind of traditionalism is, as Mike put it, "asinine".

[Mark McDonnell]

I've never been less than entertained by the few things of John's I've read online: their wit and their cheek and their absolute brio. But this 'tribute' is bloody awful. As a complete outsider to the 'po-biz' (a phrase I didn't even know until a month ago) I find the whole free verse vs formal 'poetry war' very depressing and can't understand how grown-up people can be so childish.

And doesn't this Sally Cook person see the irony of her closing lines?

And wave the flag for wit and humour — these things truly last

The 'humourless' writers she's still getting so annoyed about have clearly lasted! 'Leaves of Grass' was first published in 1855 and WCW little 14 word (!) wheelbarrow poem is nearly 100 years old. I wish I could write 14 words that would still be irritating idiots in the year 2114. That's some feat!

Ridiculous.

[Andrew Szilvasy]

I've read nothing of Sally's but this. People here have said very nice things about her, so I will not judge her whole work by one poem. Just like we shouldn't be judged solely by our worst days, we shouldn't be judged by our worst poems.

But this is bad. Mark, you nailed the irony she seems to miss here.

Further, I've not read enough Whitworth to really have a great sense, but to be better than Whitman is a tall order, and I doubt there are (m)any living writers who are.

[Mark McDonnell]

Well, I've read nothing else of Sally Cook's either and I kind of regret my use of the word 'idiots', however much its use was meant to be comically hyperbolic.

But I stand by everything else. Cheers Andrew.

[Andrew Szilvasy]

Cheers indeed.

To be clear, my comment was in no way meant as a rebuke of your point, and I'm sorry if I phrased it as such. I think it might look like that merely because I was the next post. I frankly don't think you're even out of line on "idiots." I'm in complete agreement with your first post.

[Ann Drysdale]

I thought I was having a touch of déjà vu - but we really have discussed this before...

www.ablemuse.com/erato/showthread.php?t=27579