What Makes a Good Poet?
A good poet may be good as in skilled or good as in highly moral. Each reader has a preference for one of these. If your highest priority is skill, you will rate morality lower than skill and vice versa. These, too, are better when in abundance and balance. Most people respect both. But none of the other characteristics such as success are a necessary result of either skill or morality. Elbert Hubbard’s morality and inspiration does not often appeal to those who like Ezra Pound, and Pound’s immense intellect is no softener of his sterility to those who love Hubbard. There are of course few who respect one who will see any value at all in the other. They are worlds apart, while William Blake may appeal to those who like either of the others. ii. What Makes a Popular Poet? Popularity does not depend much on how skilled or moral a poet is. Faking skill or morality is equally difficult, except to fool people who are less discriminating in their analysis of one or the other. Some poets do n
