Poetry Takeaways

After a month of doing poetry, here's my big three takeaways.

1. Sturgeon's Law is really pronounced for poetry. Most poetry (same as most prose) is bad. The problem is, bad poetry is obnoxious in a way that's hard (and sometimes unintentionally funny) for bad fiction.

2. Most of the things that make fiction good also apply to poetry. Faust is fun, because it has dramatic characters. Whitman is good, because he has a sense of adventure. THE NIGHTINGALE VS THE LARK VS FLOWERS XXX 9001 is bad, because it's not actually about anything interesting and it's been done a million times.

3. Meter and rhyme are bullshit. Both in that they sometimes force weird lines that would be better without, and because people ignore them. A lot. Good for them, they should.

That's some kind of life lesson by the way. Ignore the rules/customs when it makes doing the thing they're supposed to do harder.

 So, in the end, fan of good poetry, hater of bad poetry, and there's a lot of bad poetry.

I assume they'll be a more formal reflection at some point as part of the challenge. 

Further filler?

 Went back and fixed the two unposts from earlier this month.

 

 

I submitted to an anthology!

 This is my first time submitting anywhere since grad school. Excited, but not hoping for much. No, this isn't filler while I recover from A to Z...

A to Z 2026 Poetry Z: Zeno of Citium’s epitath by Zenodotus

Z: Zeno of Citium’s epitath by Zenodotus  

Bonus: 

Time for Zed 

Summary: Zeno died, but don't be sad.

Commentary:

Not technically in the 5FSOB, but given the amount of Stoicism included, I think a tribute to Zeno (the original Stoic), by another Stoic whose name also beings with Z, is a pretty clean include.

"hoary brow serene" is a heck of a thing to be remembered for. It's a shame that, while, "Who gave to Greece her written books of wisdom." they mostly weren't preserved.

I also like the use of "contentment". Stoicism isn't just "not being mad about stuff" it's about being happy regardless of what's going on, because you focus on the important stuff.  

A to Z 2026 Poetry Y: “Ye Mariners of England” by Thomas Campbell (~1800)

Y: “Ye Mariners of England” by Thomas Campbell (~1800)

Bonus: 

 

Don't you hate when someone wrote a better version of your poem a couple decades earlier?

Summary: WOODEN SHIPS AND IRON MEN!

Commentary: "Hearts of Oak" did it better.  

A to Z 2026 Poetry X: “XXIII” from The Psalms (American Standard Version, 1901)

“XXIII” from The Psalms (American Standard Version, 1901)

Bonus: 

 

Hank Hill was right.

 

 

Summary: The Lord Jehovah is my shepherd.

Commentary:  The American Standard Version is mostly just the KJV with "The Lord" swapped for Jehovah. 

Also, shepherds take care of sheep (partially) so they can kill and eat them. Why do you want a god to be your shepherd? Wouldn't you prefer to remain uneaten?

I am pleased with how little I had to cheat for X this year. 

A to Z 2026 W: “What Think You I Take My Pen in Hand?” by Walt Whitman (1860)

 A to Z 2026 W: “What Think You I Take My Pen in Hand?” by Walt Whitman (1860)

Bonus: https://www.facebook.com/100064035043542/videos/celebrity-jeopardy-calista-flockhart-nicolas-cage-sean-connery-snl/338122197445248/

WHY IS THIS NOT ON YOUTUBE 

Summary: It's short, I'm just gonna paste the whole thing here:

What think you I take my pen in hand to record?

The battle-ship, perfect-model'd, majestic, that I saw pass the

offing to-day under full sail?

The splendors of the past day? or the splendor of the night that

envelops me?

Or the vaunted glory and growth of the great city spread around me? --no;

But merely of two simple men I saw to-day on the pier in the midst

of the crowd, parting the parting of dear friends,

The one to remain hung on the other's neck and passionately kiss'd him,

While the one to depart tightly prest the one to remain in his arms.

 Commentary:  

This seemed appropriate for this blog. 

"They were friends."