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1rrp
There was an interesting article in a recent Atlantic, which discusses a recent book The Hatred of Poetry. The author of that book lays into the poem "Tay Bridge Disaster" by William McGonagall, which it seems is often labeled the Worst Poem Ever Written.
Can anyone explain why? It seems to me a lot more accessible that say, just to pick one modern example, "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams, which many consider a "Good Poem".
One is bad, one is good. Why? How can one really tell? Is it just a matter of personal preference, or what the critics say? Is it just a subjective thing, or are there objective criteria by which they can be measured?
Can anyone explain why? It seems to me a lot more accessible that say, just to pick one modern example, "The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams, which many consider a "Good Poem".
One is bad, one is good. Why? How can one really tell? Is it just a matter of personal preference, or what the critics say? Is it just a subjective thing, or are there objective criteria by which they can be measured?
2madpoet
Oh man, that is an awful poem. Sometimes 'good' and 'bad' poetry is subjective. In this case, there is no question. That is a terrible, terrible poem.
First, read it aloud. See how forced the rhyme is? How clunky it sounds?
Second, tone. The poet is describing a terrible tragedy and his tone is flippant almost: 'Alas! I am sorry to say/That 99 lives have been taken away.' It is not ironic in its light tone. It is tone deaf.
Then there is... oh, just read the poem... and try not to laugh at this 'tragic' poem.
'It will be remembered for a very long time' as the world's worst (published) poem.
*Edited to fix typo
First, read it aloud. See how forced the rhyme is? How clunky it sounds?
Second, tone. The poet is describing a terrible tragedy and his tone is flippant almost: 'Alas! I am sorry to say/That 99 lives have been taken away.' It is not ironic in its light tone. It is tone deaf.
Then there is... oh, just read the poem... and try not to laugh at this 'tragic' poem.
'It will be remembered for a very long time' as the world's worst (published) poem.
*Edited to fix typo
3southernbooklady
Wow. I could have gone my whole life without knowing about that poem. It is pretty dreadful.
5Taphophile13
>4 rolandperkins: Google gave me this http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk/gems/the-tay-bridge-disaster
Oh, it's good, all right. Dark and Stormy night good.
Oh, it's good, all right. Dark and Stormy night good.
6bernsad
>5 Taphophile13: A dark and stormy night? I love that one!
7rolandperkins
4, 5:
thanks, Taphophile13
thanks, Taphophile13
8thorold
It's worth reading Hugh MacDiarmid's essay on McGonagall (also on the site >5 Taphophile13: links to). He portrays him as a vain, deluded innocent hideously abused and humiliated by the cruel Scottish public.
11madpoet
You know what would be a fun challenge? Rewrite this horrible poem. Make it sing. Or at least, passable.
12southernbooklady
I want to see someone do it as a rap.
14rrp
>2 madpoet:
So "The Tay Bridge Disaster" is objectivelty bad because it has forced rhymes, it sounds clunky, and it's tone is "deaf".
Yet "The Red Wheelbarrow", which has no rhymes at all and, as far as I can tell, is also tone deaf, is a good poem.
And I have always found the second line of "The Raven" clunky (that "curious"), yet despite being clunky is a "good" poem.
So "The Tay Bridge Disaster" is objectivelty bad because it has forced rhymes, it sounds clunky, and it's tone is "deaf".
Yet "The Red Wheelbarrow", which has no rhymes at all and, as far as I can tell, is also tone deaf, is a good poem.
And I have always found the second line of "The Raven" clunky (that "curious"), yet despite being clunky is a "good" poem.
15madpoet
>14 rrp:
Have you ever been to a karaoke bar? This poem is like a drunken tone-deaf karaoke singer doing his best rendition of a Yoko Ono song. With accordion and bagpipe accompaniment.
A poem doesn't need to rhyme, of course. But if it does rhyme, it ought to rhyme better than this!
He's not even consistent in his rhyme pattern. Some stanzas have rhyming pairs, some have triples and pairs, with whatever number of lines in a stanza he can fit in.
Oh, rrp, if you cannot see this poem is a steaming pile of... something... you must be poetry-deaf indeed. I pity thee!
Have you ever been to a karaoke bar? This poem is like a drunken tone-deaf karaoke singer doing his best rendition of a Yoko Ono song. With accordion and bagpipe accompaniment.
A poem doesn't need to rhyme, of course. But if it does rhyme, it ought to rhyme better than this!
He's not even consistent in his rhyme pattern. Some stanzas have rhyming pairs, some have triples and pairs, with whatever number of lines in a stanza he can fit in.
Oh, rrp, if you cannot see this poem is a steaming pile of... something... you must be poetry-deaf indeed. I pity thee!
16rrp
>15 madpoet:
I have never been to a karaoke bar, but am familiar with the concept. It's possible that, many years ago, after a few drinks, I joined with others in signing a song in public. I doubt it was by Yoko Ono as I am unfamiliar with her work. However if these musicians were our accompaniment, then accordion and bagpipe would certainly have enhanced the experience.
I must confess that I didn't notice the rhyme pattern in "The Tay Bridge Disaster" and I didn't notice the different numbers of lines in the stanzas. Is counting an important part of poetry appreciation? But I am sure I have read other "good" poems with odd rhyming patterns, or am I wrong?
You seem to have a strong opinion against "The Tay Bridge Disaster" whereas I am neutral on both it and "The Red Wheelbarrow". But I must say the former has one big advantage. If the intention of the poet was to communicate something to the reader, McGonagall succeeds where WCW fails. I can understand what his poem is about and what message he was trying to communicate. With "The Red Wheelbarrow" I am completely in the dark.
I have never been to a karaoke bar, but am familiar with the concept. It's possible that, many years ago, after a few drinks, I joined with others in signing a song in public. I doubt it was by Yoko Ono as I am unfamiliar with her work. However if these musicians were our accompaniment, then accordion and bagpipe would certainly have enhanced the experience.
I must confess that I didn't notice the rhyme pattern in "The Tay Bridge Disaster" and I didn't notice the different numbers of lines in the stanzas. Is counting an important part of poetry appreciation? But I am sure I have read other "good" poems with odd rhyming patterns, or am I wrong?
You seem to have a strong opinion against "The Tay Bridge Disaster" whereas I am neutral on both it and "The Red Wheelbarrow". But I must say the former has one big advantage. If the intention of the poet was to communicate something to the reader, McGonagall succeeds where WCW fails. I can understand what his poem is about and what message he was trying to communicate. With "The Red Wheelbarrow" I am completely in the dark.
