What a depressing article, Andrew! And what a strange depiction of
British/Irish poetry -
"Obviously there have been changes in style between 1830 and the
present: a modernisation of language including the abandonment of
archaisms; a cautious willingness to write without rhyme though not
usually without recognisable metre; a lessening of overt rhetoric. But
none of these changes has affected the central tradition of English
verse since the early 19th century, the essential feature of which is
language which is restrained, always grammatical and valued both
thoughtful decoration – the well-placed adjective, metonymy or simile
– and for plangent cadence, often expressing a sense of loss."
I guess it follows obediently enough the New Penguin Book of English
Verse (or suchlike), in which everything slumps markedly after about
1950, mainly because the poets doing the most interesting work seem to
have been left out. Laurie Smith is clearly unaware of the wonderful
poets who have bubbled up in the in that small island in the 20C - Roy
Fisher, Peter Redgrove, Edwin Morgan, Penelope Shuttle, Douglas
Oliver, Jeremy Prynne, Penelope Shuttle, Denise Riley, Geoffrey Hill,
just to name a few off the top of my head. None of whom are
recognisable in that description.
Whether they're "great" or not is probably something for 50 years
time. I'd say more than a couple were. Whatever "great" means. If it
means writing great poems, yeah.
xA
On Wed, Dec 10, 2008 at 8:37 AM, Jon Corelis <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>> 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
>
> ===============================================
>
> Jon Corelis http://jcorelis.googlepages.com/joncorelis
>
> ===============================================
>
--
Editor, Masthead: http://www.masthead.net.au
Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
Home page: http://www.alisoncroggon.com
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