The Worst poems of all times

[Wilfred]

Well...what are they?

[Sindhu]

I can't pinpoint a particular poem- but a lot of Wordsworth would qualify for this category. I LOVE a lot of what Wordsworth has written, but sometimes he's unbearable. I'll quote a parody of one of WW's own sonnets by J K Stephen which clearly indicates what I mean. (BTW, read ll the parodies by J K Stephen you can- he's hilarious!)
A Sonnet

TWO voices are there: one is of the deep;
It learns the storm-cloud's thunderous melody,
Now roars, now murmurs with the changing sea,
Now bird-like pipes, now closes soft in sleep:
And one is of an old half-witted sheep
Which bleats articulate monotony,
And indicates that two and one are three,
That grass is green, lakes damp, and mountains steep:
And, Wordsworth, both are thine: at certain times
Forth from the heart of thy melodious rhymes,
The form and pressure of high thoughts will burst:
At other times--good Lord! I'd rather be
Quite unacquainted with the ABC
Than write such hopeless rubbish as thy worst.

[Wilfred]

I agree.

[Isagel]

I usually enjoy Kipling. But now I, actually a couple of seconds ago, read "The white mans burden"

I´m angry. :evil:

The style is good, the substance... Consider putting it up on the list of worst poem ever my small revenge on Mr Kipling. I better go and have a nice cup of coffee and not use bad words.

[Jay]

Hey Isagel, you like "The Thousandth Man" by Kipling? I love that one...

There's a lot of poems I don't like, but I don't think I've read THE worst one as far...

[Sindhu]

I usually enjoy Kipling. But now I, actually a couple of seconds ago, read "The white mans burden"

I´m angry. :evil:

The style is good, the substance... Consider putting it up on the list of worst poem ever my small revenge on Mr Kipling. I better go and have a nice cup of coffee and not use bad words.
When I was doing Kiplingaspart of my research, I decided to be charitable and let the WhiteMan's burden pass of as a combination of Megalomania and insanity! It's so stupid,it's not worth getting angry about! ;)
And maybe he made some small amends in "The recessional"- even the smallest note of humility and self doubt was welcome on that occasion when everyone else was going around thumping their chests!

[Koa]

I like this topic :) Clever criticism. I'll try to come out with something too...if I can, I actually don't know so much poetry... but I'm sure there's something I've really hated!

[Isagel]

[quote="Jay"]Hey Isagel, you like "The Thousandth Man" by Kipling? I love that one... quote]

Haven´t heard of that one. Is it a poem?

[Demona]

Walt Whitman has been a real pain for me lately...i forced myself to finish that Song of Myself and hated it...no rhyme no nothing....of course the things discussed are universal and all....but i think there are better ways to express them...

[I hate Jane Austen]

I dont know about the worst poem, but the worst kind of ice cream is definatly cookie dough.

[Wilfred]

I agree I hate Jane Austen

[Stanislaw]

White man's burden, closely followed by Thw wreck of the hesperus. I just didn't like it at all.

I also hate racists.

[David J]

What about Arthur Rimbaud's "To the *******"

Its not the worst poem but it certainly qualifies as being one of the worst subjects for poetry:D

[Isagel]

WHAT ! ADMIN! Are you censoring Rimbaud? or is it a nasty little computer program?

[AbdoRinbo]

You're a paradox, David. You have such an admiration Joyce, yet somehow Rimbaud is offensive? There's a double-bind standard for ya.

[David J]

Yeah I guess it is. Maybe I should return to the poem and try to see the beauty in it. Truth is beauty after all...and how could I dare criticize Rimbaud - no tea for you tonight David:)

[johnnyb7]

What about Robert Burns. Some of his poems might as well be written in Klingon as far as I'm concerned........... incomprehensible

[Wilfred]

I think we are getting off the topic of the worst poems here.

[Isagel]

David - What poem by Rimbaud did you refer to - I have been trying to find something by Rimbaud with an offensive titel , but I can´t find it. Perhaps you can qoute a cuople of lines? I´m a curious soul...

[AbdoRinbo]

Here is Rimbaud's 'The Stolen Heart', perhaps his most tasteless poem (but, still, it is a captivating read):

My sad heart slobbers at the poop . . .
My heart is full of cheap tobacco!
They're pelting it with spurts of soup,
My sad heart slobbers at the poop . . .
Under the sneerings of the troop.

[. . .]

I'll have intestinal retchings
If my sad heart is defiled:
When their chews are all dried up,
What shall we do, O stolen heart?

[See? Sodomy has its lighter side too.]

[sloegin]

That's quite funny.

[David J]

Originally posted by Isagel
David - What poem by Rimbaud did you refer to - I have been trying to find something by Rimbaud with an offensive titel , but I can´t find it. Perhaps you can qoute a cuople of lines? I´m a curious soul...

Isagel, I can't quote as I don't have the book with me but the poem can be found in the complete poems by Penguin Classics and the title is close to "To the Planet Uranus". I think it is definately the poem you are looking for.

Abdo, nice translation - did you do it yourself? I would love to be able to speak French just to be able to appreciate Rimbaud's poetry more.

David

[Adso]

The worst poem i've ever read was surely one of my own! Lolz! :D
Yet i don't think one should ask what the worst poem ever written is, as it's all a matter of personal choice. What i mean by that is that in different poems different people see different things. As somebody said... (aproximate quote) "One man's garbage may be another man's treasure"!
So a absolute measure would be hard to find!...

Just my 10 cents ;)

[Isagel]

Thank you Abdorinbo . I think that whatmakes it captivating is thatit´s tasteless.
Originally posted by AbdoRinbo
Here is Rimbaud's 'The Stolen Heart', perhaps his most tasteless poem (but, still, it is a captivating read):

My sad heart slobbers at the poop . . .
My heart is full of cheap tobacco!
They're pelting it with spurts of soup,
My sad heart slobbers at the poop . . .
Under the sneerings of the troop.

[. . .]

I'll have intestinal retchings
If my sad heart is defiled:
When their chews are all dried up,
What shall we do, O stolen heart?


Thank you Abdorinbo . I think that what makes it captivating is that it´s tasteless, asyou write. Some times the things we thought where goingto be wonderful turns out, not even tragical, but ugly and dirty. It has to be ugly words if you are to describe feeling defiled.