Do you think a list of "favourite poets" will contain more dead people than a list of "favourite novelists"?
by 
hijklmno
ANSWERS: 2
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Yes... mainly because modern novels are more popular than modern poems.. look at the paperbacks in the local supermarket.. not many poetry collections lots of novels. Most of the poets that lots of people have heard of are dead. (Wordsworth, Chaucer, Shakespeare, byron, keats.) Whilst there are plenty of popular dead novelists (Dickens, Austen, Agatha Christie, HG Wells, Edgar Allen Poe) There are many many more who are still alive (Steven King, John Grisham, JK Rowling. Sorry for my ignorance, but I cannot come up with a popularmodern living poet (unless you count popular songwriters). But I don't think that I am alone
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I suppose it depends whose list it is! I know a while ago the BBC did a poll on people's favourite poemS (not poets) and it was pleasantly surprising to me (and the person who wrote the forward for the anthology - Griff Rhys Jones I think?) how many 20th century poems were included - one might have reasonably expected a collection of Blake, Shakespeare, Wordsworth and the like. But then - the kind of people who watch poetry programmes and care enough to register a vote are probably those who take the time to read poetry on a more regular basis than the average population and maybe actively seek out new poetry. If I was to go out on the streets of Cardiff right now and ask people their favorite poet I suspect most people who could give an answer would refer to the poets they read at school or college - roughly 80% of whom are likely dead (apart from maybe Carol Ann Duffy who seems to be taking over English syllabi/ sylabuses (correct plural?)everywhere).) The only thing I can think of that might change that is something on the lines of the Richard and Judy book club, but with poetry as its focus instead of novels.
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