Ted Kooser's advice on writing poetry

[rayheinrich]

milo wrote: "I remember reading once that books on how to write poems outsell poetry books 3 to 1"

Seeing as how talent cannot be taught that does not sound unreasonable, I'm surprised the number is not much higher. I have read books on meter, poetic form, poetic criticism, and by far outweighing them all, books of poetry, but I have never read a book about how to write a poem. I would suggest (and I am not comparing myself to them) if one could survey the Greater English language poets over time, not a one of them has either.

dale

I have. Some of them are pretty good... wait, you're saying PigPen is useless?
If I could survey the Greater English language poets over time I'd be psychic and wouldn't bother.
If I could survey the Greater English language poets over time I'd find none of them had ever read PigPen.