Poet's Corner
TEACHING THE APE TO WRITE POEMS
They didn't have much trouble
teaching the ape to write poems:
first they strapped him into the chair,
then tied the pencil around his hand
(the paper had already been nailed down).
Then Dr. Bluespire leaned over his shoulder
and whispered into his ear:
"You look like a god sitting there.
Why don't you try writing something?"
— James Tate
[Poetry must] be tinkered with and recast until one's eyes pop out of one's head.
~ Robert Lowell
