Influences and Analysis of Poetry

The speaker discusses the influence of poets like William Carlos Williams and Wallace Stevens on their early poetry reading. They describe their time at Stanford, where they were introduced to 16th and 17th-century poets by Ivor Winters. The speaker highlights the sweetness of the English language used by poets like George Gascoigne and Ben Johnson. The transcript concludes with an analysis of Ben Johnson's poem, noting its natural and idiomatic style, and its meter similar to 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'.

Which poets were significant influences on the speaker's early poetry reading?

• William Carlos Williams and Wallace Stevens

• Emily Dickinson and Alan Ginsburg

• George Gascoigne and Ben Johnson

• Yates and Campion

What was the speaker's primary focus when reading poetry?

• The personal lives of the poets

• The musicality of the poems

• The visual imagery

• The historical context

Who introduced the speaker to 16th and 17th-century poets?

• Ben Johnson

• William Carlos Williams

• Wallace Stevens

• Ivor Winters

Which century's poets did the speaker describe as having the sweetest English for the human voice?

• 20th century

• 19th century

• 18th century

• 16th century

What is the title of the poem recited by the speaker?

• Ode to a Nightingale

• The Road Not Taken

• Excuse for Loving

• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

What does the speaker say about the style of Ben Johnson's poem?

• It is overly complex

• It is natural and idiomatic

• It lacks rhythm

• It is difficult to understand

What does the speaker compare the meter of Ben Johnson's poem to?

• A sonnet

• A haiku

• Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

• A limerick