"The Poet" by Tom Wayman

Tom Wayman sarcastically and empoweringly uses generalized catalogs and improper grammar to explain that all poets experience issues in their craft. The poem's lines dismiss correct syntax in favor of mocking the perceived faults of a writer, with faux humor abound: "Does not understand what he reads / Does not understand what he hears." These consistent images of a dense person serve to illustrate, in an antithetical manner, how a poet can have a multitude of cognitive flaws but still succeed in their artistry. Wayman seeks to exemplify that no poet is perfect, writing in odd diction and grammar, "Has great difficulty interpreting proverbs." This line, in particular, stands out, as theoretically, the assumption exists that the greatest of poets have limited trouble discerning the message of difficult works. Tom Wayman destroys this misconception in one fell swoop, using parallel syntax in his catalogs to show that poets should push through in their works and not fall by the wayside simply because of errors in the learning process.