Nick Blackburn · 3 June 2002

I like a lot of the poems in WM. Equally, I am indifferent to many, especially those involving daffodils and suchlike. A lot are silly or a waste of time and space. But this is the first poem I have disliked enough to respond to. This is nothing at all to do with the fact that I enjoy cats, it is just a terrible poem. I would even venture that it is not a poem at all. At least my contribution to the Oeuvre of Suspect Poetry [Ode to a Drainpipe: You hang on the wall, ever so tall] rhymes and scans.

Nick B

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Nick Blackburn
London

Joe Arthur · 20 June 2002

What a fraud! That cat is not unusual just because it is dead! Having decided not to make a big tragedy of it, one hopes Wendy copes.

The poem itself is more unusual because it’s title is 25% as long as the text and contains only one word in common - possibly a weakness in the poet’s craft, zero would have been more of a challenge. The fact that I am talking about quantity here infers that quality is not an issue!

I know I’ll regret this, but, how many poems reduce the 25% ratio of title to text? Is there a published poem whose title out quantifies it’s text? Does it matter that I counted the words and not the characters?

Joe Arthur

James Swenson · 12 August 2003

At the risk of being pedantic, I’d like to clarify that what’s “unusual” in the title is the poem, not the cat. The title gives the game away; Cope is needling the authors of saccharine cat-poetry. At the same time, she chooses the word “decided” to signal her sense of restrained grief. I find her achievement remarkable – she has packed a lot of internal conflict into a little space.

For Mr. Arthur, the best I can offer is a poem by Judith Viorst from “If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Worries”: I suspect others can improve upon its 227% ratio, if they’re so inclined. [I follow his judgment in counting the hyphenated word as two.] Mr. Blackburn will be pleased to note that the poem rhymes and scans.

James Swenson

THOUGHTS ON GETTING OUT OF A NICE WARM BED
IN AN ICE-COLD HOUSE TO GO TO
THE BATHROOM AT THREE O’CLOCK IN THE MORNING

Maybe life was better
When I used to be a wetter.

–Judith Viorst

Goopiga22 · 2 June 2004

hey i thought that your poem was one of the worst poems taht there are and i dont even consider it a poem and i think that you shoudl just take it off the internet so that you dont get anymroe critisicim from it cause when anything die sit is a big deal especially for me cause my cat died almost 3 years ago and that was the hardest thing that i ever had to go through and i know tha t1 day i will have to go throught it again so jsut take it off thank youjennifer

Ben Maxwell · 4 June 2004

Well I liked it.

Tim Coles · 11 July 2004

Wendy Cope is dead
But i have decided not to make a big tragedy of it.

Tim Coles · 11 July 2004

Wendy cope is dead
But i have decided not to make a big tragedy of it.

Miss H Waterworth · 22 March 2005

Sad…. you haven’t got a heart and without a heart you can’t write poetry.

Wolf Clostermann · 19 September 2005

Have been very fond of this poem every since I was a wee sprog. Makes me laugh.

Cameron Clan · 23 August 2006

I luv this poem(Im 10)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ittai Klein · 9 April 2007

There should be some kind of moderator that reviews the comments and quickly removes those that are not fit to print.
I shall not delve into what should be the criterions; just get an intelligent person with an open mind and good taste. (After installing the above-recommended functionary he is invited to remove this comment, as it becomes superfluous)

Ittai Klein · 24 April 2007

There should be some kind of moderator that reviews the comments and quickly removes those that are not fit to print.
I shan’t delve into what should be the criterions; just get an intelligent person with an open mind and good taste.
(After installing the above-recommended functionary he is invited to remove this comment, as it becomes superfluous)