Greybeard's Poetry Notebook

Some years ago after we had finished our anthology in January, I gave my AP students what I thought was an interesting assignment. The assignment itself has been lost, but it was something on the order of: Choose the top ten poems we have read this year, rank them, and write one paragraph for each poem justifying your ranking. Then, part two, choose the top ten poets we have read this year, rank them, and write a paragraph for each poet justifying your ranking. My thinking was that a poet might write one great poem that the students would want to choose for their lists, but that poet's body of work might not be great. Or, while failing to produce one of the ten greatest poems ever, a poet might achieve greatness by writing a ton of semi-great poems. Anyway, I was far less interested in which poems and poets the students picked than I was in the justification portion of the assignment. Just like every other assignment, there were those who disappointed me with their silliness or shallowness; but in a number of cases, I was pleasantly surprised with the depth of insight some of my scholars were able to pack into one paragraph. In a few cases, they forced me to re-examine a poem I thought I knew. That is always fun.

Unfortunately, their papers have all been lost or are confined to a trunk somewhere in the basement of their parents' house, but at the time, I made my top ten lists. And that's what I'd like to present here and in the pages which follow. I welcome comments of course, but what I'd really like is for you to read these poems or poets. Who knows, perhaps they hold something wonderful for you too.

              The Correct Top Ten Lists

Poems Paradise Lost Ode on a Grecian Urn   enhanced version Fern Hill Dover Beach Kubla Khan Frost at Midnight Hymn to Intellectual Beauty Rime of the Ancient Mariner Ode to a Nightingale Tintern Abbey Ash Wednesday Ode to the West Wind A Valediction Forbidding Mourning

Note: Paradise Lost must be at the top of this list because it is the greatest poem in the English language. However, since we didn't read it in its entirety, I wasn't sure I was allowed to count it; so I listed 11. I listed a three-way tie for tenth (or eleventh) spot because I knew that you knew that I couldn't limit the top ten to a mere ten, and I didn't want to disappoint you. Special note to contemporary readers: the note above is an example of what passed for humor in my classes. Really. Also, let me mention that if I were to make this list anew today, only one or two of the listed poems would be dropped...and replaced in all likelihood by two others. I still will never get it to ten. <g>.

Poets Samuel Taylor Coleridge John Keats Percy Bysshe Shelley John Milton William Butler Yeats William Wordsworth William Shakespeare John Donne T.S. Eliot William Blake

Note: Both this and the list at the top reflect my personal biases. Professional scholars, critics, and other [bad word - censored for internet use (e.g. your last year's English teacher)] might possibly pick nits and find some insignificant reason to disagree with me; but resist their arguments. We know we're right! Right? Special note to contemporary readers: You're right, more humor. Enough of this nonsense...go read some poetry. And if you just can't resist sharing your total agreement with my choices, you may email greybeardloon@netscape.net.

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