Author: Teresa Cottam
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The madness of Ezra Pound
Jerome McGann wrote: “No English-speaking poet of this century has been the subject of as much biographical scrutiny as Ezra Pound.” Daniel Swift in the prologue to his biography of Pound adds that he was “the most difficult man of the 20th century”. Since so much has been written about him – which you are…
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3 features of bad poetry
Poetry is famously, absolutely and unequivocally subjective. A poem can move one person to tears and leave another indifferent. So by what standard can we judge some poetry to be bad? How do we define bad? And should we? People who say all poetry is valid are correct. People who say that we can’t tell…
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The lyrical addict
Poet, critic and philosopher, Coleridge is perhaps the least known of the six major Romantic Poets despite having written two of the most famous poems in the English language. His poor reputation was slowly being reassessed before suffering again because of his horrible treatment of his wife. Is he a monster or misunderstood genius? Read…
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William Golding: the beast beneath the skin
William Golding spent his literary career exploring the savagery of human nature and man’s eternal struggle with good and evil. But was he a bad poet? And, even more importantly, is there any truth in his self-declared monstrousness?
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Bad Poet Wordsearch
If you’re a fan of literary Wordsearches, we have a little treat for you. There’s 18 bad poets to find – if you’d like a few hints, the answers are below. If not, good luck!
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Why you need to read more bad poets
This duality of badness – of art and character – is at the heart of our purpose at The Bad Poet Society. But why should you invest your time in reading bad poetry or great poetry written by bad poets?