Practice, Game; Game, Practice.
The "Best" Poems
“We sitting in here— I'm supposed to be the franchise player, and we in here talking about practice. I mean, listen: We talking about practice. Not a game. Not a game. Not a game. We talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it's my last. Not the game. We talking about practice, man” – Allen Iverson
But seriously…
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Practice.
Read these poems— ‘50 Contemporary Poets on the Best Poems they Read in 2024’ (Lit Hub)
Which of these poems do you think is “good”?
Which of these poems did you enjoy reading? Which did you not enjoy? Do the hard work of asking yourself why?
How are the poems you see as “good” different from the poems you most enjoy reading?
Are there poems that are not quite as “good” (by your personal metrics) that you enjoyed more than poems that you believe others would identify as better poems?
How are these poems similar or different to favorite poems you read this year?
What are other notable takeaways from reading these poems?
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Bonus:
Which of these poems could you see published in ONE ART?
Which of these poems are you confident would not be published in ONE ART?
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Please Note:
This is not a diss on the poem(s)/poet(s). It’s a matter of subjective taste.
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Hi Mark, is it too late to send comments on this? Regarding thoughts on the poems and their appearance in One Art? This article went into my Spam Folder for some reason and I rarely check that. Thanks. And thanks for the link. I can't wait to read them.