Despised poetry - Oscar Wilde

One could say that the British writer Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was not a big fan of Alexander Pope’s (1688-1744) poetry, despite the fact that Pope was an eminent English poet.

On one occasion, Wilde wrote:

“There are two ways of disliking poetry; one way is to dislike it, the other is to read Pope.”

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Note from an editor – Charles Dickens

While he was an editor of the weekly magazine “Household Words”, famous English writer Charles Dickens (1812 - 1870) received a poem from a young poet with a request to publish it.

Poem’s title was “Orient Pearls at Random Strung”.

Dickens read it and decided not to publish it.  Since he didn’t wanted for the young poet to have to many hopes of publishing, he sent him a notice to inform him about his decision.

“I regret to inform you that your poem will not be published in our magazine. Too much string. Yours, Charles Dickens. “

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The name – Bob Dylan

In 1962, young American singer-songwriter Robert Allen Zimmerman officially changed his name to Bob Dylan. Allegedly, he did it in the memory of one of his literary idols, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914-1953).

Robert was 21 when he done that, and he was just 12 when Dylan Thomas died.

Later, at the peak of his fame, he recalled that event and acknowledged that he had been influenced by Dylan Thomas’ poetry, but:

“I didn't change my name in honor of Dylan Thomas. That's just a story. I've done more for Dylan Thomas than he's ever done for me. Look how many kids are probably reading his poetry now because they heard that story”

Regarding his change of name, Bob Dylan also said:

"You're born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents. I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free."

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Literary compliment – Mark Twain and Edgar Allan Poe

Works of American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) were not very well received at the time when Poe was alive. Poe's stories and poems were especially despised by writer and journalist Mark Twain (1835-1910) who once in a letter to his friend wrote:

“To me his prose is unreadable—like Jane Austin’s. No, there is a difference. I could read his prose on salary, but not Jane’s. Jane is entirely impossible. It seems a great pity that they allowed her to die a natural death.

Another thing: you grant that God and circumstances sinned against Poe, but you also grant that he sinned against himself—a thing which he couldn’t do and didn’t do.”

 

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Too long – Antoine de Rivarol

French writer Antoine de Rivarol (1753-1801) was once asked by a mediocre poet what he thought of a couplet that the poet just wrote.

"Great song, “said Antoine de Rivarol, "but I think that it’s too long.”

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