Quote:
Originally Posted by Gregory Dowling
Well, here's another vote for A. E. Stallings. I'm not sure whether what you say is entirely true, Greg. After all, Wallace Stevens has never achieved mainstream stature (unless having a few poems regularly included in anthologies qualifies) but there's no doubt he's a survivor.
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Stevens had a couple of heavyweight surrogates on his side, Harold Bloom and Helen Vendler. Who are the literary critics shaping the conversation in this day and age? Are there any heavyweight critics these days? I would argue that it's corporations, not intellectuals. What will "survive" will be driven by market based concerns more than ever before in the coming years. Stevens will die out, but Frost will live because he has market appeal. "Who's woods these are I think I know" is good enough to be on any consumer product (Although the emperor of ice cream is pretty good too). The point is consumer tastes and market needs will drive the decisions of who survives and who doesn't, not the inherent quality of a poet's work. That's why crossover appeal is going to be so very, very important. Do you think Bardolotry would be what it is today without film? Sorry, very cynical this morning.
Greg