I am new at writing poetry and I have jioned a local poet's club and the local poet told me I should read male poets only and leave the old poets like Yeats, Frost, and Whitman, alone. Iwould like to ask some one if they could suggest any poets I could read and learn from. thanks

-- leonfoss (leonfoss@hotmail.com), May 20, 1998

Answers

Well, that certainly makes more sence, she may be right to an extent. But we should always learn from those who have gone before us....but always stretch out for new idea's

-- David Doherty (webmaster@poem.org), May 24, 1998.

Leon,

Poetry isn't a sport for male's only.....Poetry is much more than that. It is an expression of our being, a faint hope that someone will understand what we feel, see and think. Do not let others dictate what you should like or not like. Go with what you feel. also, I would not put much stock into someone who dislikes Yeats,Whitman and Frost.

-- David Doherty (webmaster@poem.org), May 21, 1998.

hmmmm.

With restrictions like that how will you be allowed to learn at all? I had a strange teacher like that once. Gained little except low marks and a dislike for his tastes from the experience. In retrospect he shrinks to even more incredible stupidity in my most charitable estimation. He probably was on drugs, poor fellow.

-- P.E.Murphy (murky@rochester.rr.com), November 02, 2002.

You can't do worse than to study Tennyson. He wrote the most beautiful, heart-rending verse. Try "Break break break", "The lady of Shalott", "Come into the garden maud (from Maud)", "Oh that 'twere possible" (from maud), "Ulysses", "Tithonus", "In the garden of Cauteretz", "Now sleeps the crimson petal" (from the Princess), "Tears idle tears" etc

-- (Prabal.Ray@abnamro.com), June 25, 1998.

Reply to David I was not complete with my question. please forgive me.The local poetwas a woman and she thought that I could develop a style by readingfrom a male's point of view. I did not like her disregard of yeats or the1800 language. She believed that the language was outdated and that contemporary poetry was the way of the future. I have been reading modern poets and many are good, but the past poets seem to have the edge as far as beautiful language. Is there a balance between old and new. I was a loose cannon with poetry and now I want to be better, as a writer and poet. thanks for the response.

-- leon foss (leonfoss@hotmail.com), May 22, 1998.