For me, it all boils down to chronological precedence. Without Eliot et al. you wouldn’t have had the poetic development that made it possible for those you mention to have existed poetically. Eliot et al. gave permission (if you like) for all kinds of divergent streams of poetry to emerge.
Original Message:
While recognizing the importance of those he cites, I don't necessarily agree with Jeffrey's thesis. To me, that would be forgetting the importance of many others. Off the top of my head, Queneau and the whole OULIPO group, Jackson Mac Low and John Cage with their chance poetry. There are probably others. I don't know that Breton and the other Surrealists or Picabia, Schwitters, et al of Dadaist fame were presaged by Joyce or anyone else.
Oh, and thank you to Doug Barbour who has agreed to be my guest today on 'Speaking of Poets' heard Sundays from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. CST on CKUW 95.9 FM and available for live, download or streaming from the CKUW website.
John Herbert Cunningham
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