Book Review - Very Bad Poetry

Very Bad Poetry edited by Kathryn Petras and Ross Petras

I once read a magazine article on encouraging children to read that stated, "How can children know what constitutes a good book, if they've never read a bad book?".  The article basically said that we should encourage children to read.  They might become fixated on individual books or series that aren't of great literary merit, but eventually they would tire of these and want to read "a good book".

I think the same principles apply to adult reading.  If you think that you don't know much about poetry, or don't like "good poetry", read some bad poetry.  This book contains some real stinkers.  For example, the following quote from Ode on the Mammoth Cheese (weighing over 7,000 pounds) smells worse than limberger:

Cows numerous as a swarm of bees,
or as the leaves upon the trees.
It did require to make thee please,
And stand unrivalled, queen of cheese.
May you not receive a scar as
We have heard that Mr. Harris
Intends to send you off as far as
The great world's show at Paris.

So if you think that you don't like or appreciate poetry, read some really bad poetry, you may know more than you think.  (Carole Campbell Brown, Central Library)

Comments

[Carole campbell Brown]

Lately, I've gone from reading very bad poetry to reading very good and powerful poetry. I have been reading The Gorgon Goddess” by Evie Shockley in anticipation of her March 4th poetry reading at Central library in honor of Black and Women’s History Months. Shockley currently lives in Winston Salem, but was born in Tennessee. Once a Chicago lawyer, she traded her law degree for a PhD. in English and is now an English professor at Wake Forest University. Her poems are powerful , and although I think of myself as a feminist, she constantly reminds me not to forget the women (and men) before me that fought the hard battle (some harder than others) so that all US citizens could have equal rights and be respected and acknowledged for their contributions to society. But you don't have to take my word for it, here's a sample of Evie's work:

bio / autography
(or, 18th century multiculturalism)

found in africa / dawned in freedom
raised in boston / rose in slavery
schooled in greek / grew in god
published in england / died in poverty

-- for phillis wheatley

by Evie Shockley

[Steve]

Carole's idea is interesting --- that you might learn to appreciate good poetry by first reading some really bad poetry. One of the challenges in trying to popularize poetry is to figure out a way to not pass judgment on people's tastes, but at the same time to help them appreciate great poems such as those written by Rita Dove. It's a lot like music: you might think that country-western music is great and I think Miles Davis is great; or you like poems that rhyme and I like free verse. So what constitutes really bad poetry?