Whitworth Over Whitman: A Poem by Sally Cook
 

There seems to be a lot of love out there between poets these days. Check out this poem from The Society of Classical Poets.

I love how Mr. Whitman is looking at Mr. Whitworth!

Cheers,
Greg

Ms. Cook seems to be confusing Walt Whitman with William Carlos Williams. I'd say that John is a good counterpoint to the latter.

Easily done, Sam, easily done. Who will tell her?

I posted a comment on the website, but someone else had pointed out Cook's error before I got there. Bizarre. However, John is a better English poet than either Whitman or Williams.

I never thought Sally Cook was confusing Whitman with Williams, but just thought that she was using both as exemplars of free verse. She was attacking free verse by attacking them. But whatever one's personal tastes (and I uphold everyone's right to having personal tastes in poetry), making the equation of free verse=bad, formal verse=good is oversimplifying. Furthermore, switching to "wit and humor" as being synonymous with formal verse is ridiculous. That is a whole different issue. Has she never read Billy Collins or Tony Hoagland, both of whom are witty and humorous in free verse? How about Ogden Nash, who may rhyme but who is often very far from metrical?

Susan

I get the feeling you are saying this as much to insult Whitman and Williams as you are to compliment John. I will leave the compliment to John unchallenged and merited, but I rise to declare Whitman to be one of the greatest poets who ever wrote in English, and Williams to be something other than chopped liver. (And of course, for better or for worse, they are two of the most influential poets of the past 100 years or so).

What Susan said.

Bob, Whitman and Williams are vastly overrated. Prose and babble.

Whitworth is worthy.

I think Sam qualified his comment with "English." But he certainly can clarify that!

It's all good company in my estimation.

I am continually amazed and awed at the minds that inhabit this sphere. I'm a little bit like Woody Allen: "I'd never join a club that would have me as a member", but happy to be in the company of those here nonetheless.

You may have seen this recent Volvo commercial featuring Whitman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQyOY-5LLmI

Upon the first several hearings I thought what a weak set of lines.
Further listening has failed to raise my opinion.

And yet, oddly, I found the longer version much better--whether it's the larger sampling of lines, or the more compelling video images and story line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBt_niVG4sM