Petit, the Poet Theme of Literature and Writing

When you get the word "poet" in the title of a poem, you know you're in for some discussion of literature and writing, Shmoopers. "Petit, the Poet" is no exception. What else would a poet have to talk about when he looks back on his life—the best way to make chili? Sadly, we get no chili recipes in this poem. Even more sadly, our speaker has wasted his life in the pursuit of bad poetry. He's a cautionary tale to those of you poetry fans who remain in the land of the living: avoid the fluff and go for the stuff that really has something to say about life. That's some tasty advice.

1. What exactly is the speaker's beef with formal poetry?
2. Why might the speaker have turned to clichés (like the wilted rose) in his poetry? Why do we still use clichés today?
3. What do you think is to blame for the speaker's blindness (in line 14)?
4. Does this poem rescue Petit from failure in your eyes? Why or why not?

This poem, which rejects formal and clichéd writing, is Petit's shot at redemption. He shoots; he scores.

A poor craftsman blames his tools. It's not the rose or the ballad's fault that Petit wrote bad poetry. He needs to start with the man in the mirror.