I have this really cool book called THE TOP 500 POEMS. I really like it, and I was looking through it and thought I would share a few of the poems. The following three poems I found rather amusing and/or thought-provoking.

"The Red Wheelbarrow" by William Carlos Williams (I am not going to rudely comment on the name. . .that is up to you!)

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens


Now my critique of the poem. First, I like it, and the first three stanzas are profound in that he gives a major significance to something that people don't normally give credit to. A lot does depend on a wheel barrow. The last stanza, however, is kind of, well. . .to put it mildly, out of place. I guess he was trying to lighten up the depth of the poem. . .???


Okay on to the next poem.


"In a station of the metro" by Ezra Pound

The apparition of these faces in the crowd;
Petals on a wet, black bough.

Hmmm. . .this one went about ten feet over my head. I have read it again and again, trying to decode the underlying, encrypted message, but to no avail. I am still stumped. Oh well.

The last poem I will share:

"The Purple Cow" by Gelett Burgess

I never saw a Purple Cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see one than be one.

O. . . . . k. Whatever. My only comment is: How did this make it into the Top 500 poems anthology? AND, is there some deep, underlying, thought provoking message here that I am missing?