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To The Archives With Gusto
In his powerful essay, To Criticize The Critic, the great Poet, T. S. Eliot, described several sorts of literary critics; one of which was the Critic With Gusto---whose work, according to Old Possum, was to revive interest in forgotten or neglected poets. During the autumn term of my Junior undergrad year, when I was admitted to the Eliot seminar (only given in every third calendar year), I paid scant attention to the great Poet's prose, preferring to focus more upon the poetry. But now, as I continue into old age (no longer, by age, a junior but a senior---according to my state's definition of that term), that essay comes back to mind in a dramatic way, as I browse through one of postpoems' most valuable assets---the archive section.
In that archive, I can read, with gusto of which Eliot wrote, poems posted at, or near to, the site's founding. I can read the poems of some giants whose poetic talents dwarf my own, and deservedly so. I can read poems that were posted on personally significant dates. And I can experience the paradox of reading some poems, by poets who no longer post (although I wish they would); and, more recently, poseurs who continue to post (and I wish they would not).
I urge every Poet and reader who reads these words to visit the archive, and browse randomly (or with deliberate search) in order to enjoy the greatness of excellent Poets who were here long before most of us (presently). The experience of these poems is both spectacular and humbling; for me, it is like the experience (which I shall now never have) of reading early Christian inscriptions on the walls of the Roman catacombs. Our publisher, sitefounder, and administrator---Jason---has graciously made these archives available. I, admittedly, do not visit them as often as I like, and I hope to do better in this coming year of 2022.
Starward
