“The straightforward pathway had been lost.” ~ Dante

Modern poetry modern verse contemporary poetry contemporary verse modern poem contemporary poem

“Far from the madding crowd’s ignoble strife

Their sober wishes never learned to stray.”

~ Thomas Gray, “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”

Before the blundering of the “free verse” crimes

Imposed upon the realm of poets, they

Were not like butterflies.  Then came the times

Of spilt confusion, treacle spilled away

On teatime jasmine cloth.  The linen white

With clean rectangularity was stained

As darkish, nasty mud.  The poets’ flight

Turned messy, bumbling.  They refused restrained

Good guidance forms.  Traditional was bad.

A part of this was they were daunted by

That Shakespeare and one Sidney.  This showed sad

Retreat from noble battlefields.  Retreats were sly.

  The failure poets feigned their claim that they

     Were fighting freedom’s cause.  They went astray.