And the moderns borrow from the past and extend the error. Some claim that poetry is not for the many but for the few. So are most world governments. So are riches and the so-called class ladies. So are specially built toilets. The best study of poetry is to read it and forget it. Because a poem can’t be understood I don’t think is a special virtue. Because most poets write from protected lives what they write about is limited. I’d much rather talk to a garbage man, a plumber or a fry cook than to a poet. They just know more about the common problems and the common joys of staying alive.
