BBC Poetry Season- Vote!

Has anyone been watching? Vote for your favourite poet :)


http://www.bbc.co.uk/apps/ifl/poetryseason/captcha

Yeah I've been watching, it's been really interesting so far

Yes I've been watching too. I loved the programme about Donne last night. We've got Milton tonight. The problem with the vote is I'm torn between at least 5 of the poets. I have more than 1 favourite. My favourites on that shortlist are Byron, Keats, Rossetti, Owen and Browning. The vote seems to go on until September, but I think I would be sussed if I voted for more than 1, unless I do it from different computers, but then there's no point.




Edit: Benjamin Zephaniah is on at a local arts centre near me next week. I think I'll see if there are still tickets. He's great.

Why'd they put Wendy Cope on there, but not Geoffry Hill? Let me take that further: why did they put Wendy Cope up there at all? Surprisingly though, John Donne made the cut, but not Shakespeare or Milton, or any number of major figures. It's also ironic how both Yeats and Heaney are on there - the former being a revolutionary, and the latter only really being born in North Ireland, and something far closer to Irish than English. Then again, Sylvia Plath was 100% American, so they botched that one too (are we counting marrying and having a disastrous relationship with an Englishman being English now?). Still though, it is a tricky choice. I'm tempted to vote Hardy, since I refuse to vote for Yeats on the grounds that he was Irish to 'the deep heart's core.'

Still, the list is more interesting for its description of who is "British", and who isn't. I wouldn't have put Eliot up there, fore instance, but it seems, according to this list, that if you lived in the UK, or are from the UK, you are English, even though someone like Browning spent far more time in Italy, and Sylvia Plath was clearly an American Poet, and Yeats embodied the anti-colonial, anti-British sentiment of his age completely.

As for voting - I don't feel right doing so - it's not my nation's favorite poet after all, so why should I skew the votes.

The great British public only think that two poems have ever been written, Kipling's If and that daffodil one by Wordsworth.

Why do you think Shakespeare was not included in the list? Is he considered only a playwright?

JBI, Milton is on there.

This is too difficult... some of my favorite poets are up, and there is no way I can choose!

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

Why do you think Shakespeare was not included in the list? Is he considered only a playwright?

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I think they've put up the ones that are talked about in the programmes of the poetry season because they don't have Shelley there either. And maybe because they thought we'd all vote for Shakey :)


I think you can vote for up to 5 different people. I voted for Lord Byron (doesn't he look pretty?) and TS Eliot.

Amused by Neely's comment- although I do love 'If'.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JBI

Why'd they put Wendy Cope on there, but not Geoffry Hill? Let me take that further: why did they put Wendy Cope up there at all? Surprisingly though, John Donne made the cut, but not Shakespeare or Milton, or any number of major figures. It's also ironic how both Yeats and Heaney are on there - the former being a revolutionary, and the latter only really being born in North Ireland, and something far closer to Irish than English. Then again, Sylvia Plath was 100% American, so they botched that one too (are we counting marrying and having a disastrous relationship with an Englishman being English now?). Still though, it is a tricky choice. I'm tempted to vote Hardy, since I refuse to vote for Yeats on the grounds that he was Irish to 'the deep heart's core.'

Still, the list is more interesting for its description of who is "British", and who isn't. I wouldn't have put Eliot up there, fore instance, but it seems, according to this list, that if you lived in the UK, or are from the UK, you are English, even though someone like Browning spent far more time in Italy, and Sylvia Plath was clearly an American Poet, and Yeats embodied the anti-colonial, anti-British sentiment of his age completely.

As for voting - I don't feel right doing so - it's not my nation's favorite poet after all, so why should I skew the votes.

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It isn't to find the favourite British poet, it's to find Britain's favourite poet. Could be from anywhere... these are simply the shortlist of poets that have been chosen by the arts council and some other folk. And Milton is on that list.

I voted for Heaney, anyway. Was understandably torn but he got my vote in the end.

Shakespeare isn't up there as a poet because, I would say legitimately, his reputation as poet doesn't begin to approach his reputation as a playwright. There are poets more deserving than Shakespeare.

Also, thank god, it's not looking for the 'best' poets. It's looking for people's favourite poets, different thing entirely. A Better thing, as well.

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Originally Posted by kelby_lake

I think you can vote for up to 5 different people. I voted for Lord Byron (doesn't he look pretty?) and TS Eliot.

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Oh, whew, good... off to vote now...

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Originally Posted by meh!

Shakespeare isn't up there as a poet because, I would say legitimately, his reputation as poet doesn't begin to approach his reputation as a playwright.

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How about Hardy?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by meh!

Shakespeare isn't up there as a poet because, I would say legitimately, his reputation as poet doesn't begin to approach his reputation as a playwright. There are poets more deserving than Shakespeare.

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Hmm, Shakespeare is first and foremost a poet and there is no one more deserving than him, but let's not go there, the BBC probably wants to show people 'new' poets riding on the back of the new poet laureate position.

In the spirit of the BBC therefore I voted for Wordsworth because I like that Daffodil poem and Milton because he has a cool wig. :thumbs_up

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kelby_lake

I think they've put up the ones that are talked about in the programmes of the poetry season because they don't have Shelley there either. And maybe because they thought we'd all vote for Shakey :)


I think you can vote for up to 5 different people. I voted for Lord Byron (doesn't he look pretty?) and TS Eliot.

Amused by Neely's comment- although I do love 'If'.

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I don't understand Kelby. It says you can only vote once, but that the maximum amount of votes from an IP address or phone is 5. I haven't done it yet, so do you have to register an e-mail address or something, or is it just a 1-click-of-the-mouse-thing? If I can only do 1, I need to think seriously about it.

As in all these type of lists, they're not going to satisfy everyone JBI. At least it gets people talking about poetry, and I see that as a good thing.

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Originally Posted by wessexgirl

I don't understand Kelby. It says you can only vote once, but that the maximum amount of votes from an IP address or phone is 5. I haven't done it yet, so do you have to register an e-mail address or something, or is it just a 1-click-of-the-mouse-thing? If I can only do 1, I need to think seriously about it.

As in all these type of lists, they're not going to satisfy everyone JBI. At least it gets people talking about poetry, and I see that as a good thing.

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I voted for four different poets. I would vote for one, and then go back to the home page and do the vote over again. So you should be fine!

Done it. Managed to do the 5 I mentioned, that is, the 5 people in the household have voted ;), as I'm sure that's why there are up to 5 allowed from one address/phone.