> Did Britain Produce ANY Great 20th Century Poets?
Yes
> At one point in the article, Smith asks why all the "indisputably" great
> 20th century poets are either American or Irish.
I assume that's supposed to be "English-language poets."
> He cites:
>
> *T.S. Eliot
> Ezra Pound
> Wallace Stevens
> Robert Lowell
> Sylvia Plath
> W.B. Yeats
> Seamus Heaney*
Only four of those are great.
>
> He suggests various British possibilities. On most lists would be:
>
> *Edward Thomas
> Wilfred Owen
> W.H. Auden
> Dylan Thomas
> Ted Hughes*
>
Only one of those is great.
> and some would make a case for:
>
> *Basil Bunting
> William Empson
> Philip Larkin
> W.S. Graham
> R.S. Thomas*
Two of those are near great.
>
> Do you agree with Laurie Smith's lists?
No.
>For instance, does Ezra Pound,
> undeniably a great editor, also qualify as a great poet?
Yes.
>Is Sylvia Plath's *
> Ariel* collection sufficient to justify her inclusion (her other work may be
> accomplished, but is it 'great?')?
No. No.
>Are Edward Thomas and Wilfred Owen among
> the very best Britain has to offer?
>
No.
> And if you were asked to pick the seven most influential poets of the 20th
> century, who would you choose? How many UK poets make the grade?
>
Again, among English speaking poets, and keeping in mind that most
influential doesn't necessarily mean best: Eliot, Pound, Yeats,
Williams, Stevens, Auden, Plath.
But seven best: Eliot, Pound, Yeats, Williams, Stevens, Thomas, Larkin.
--
"There's plenty of hope, but not for us."
-- Kafka
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Jon Corelis http://jcorelis.googlepages.com/joncorelis
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