Writing A Classic

Is it possible to write a classic anymore? I mean, the newest REAL classic is from like, 30, 40 years ago... I mean, does it become a classic after a long time or what?

I hope you understand my question. I do seriously have a knack for rambling.

You must assume that the classics of 40 years in the future are the big compitition winners of today, seeing as those are the poems and poets who get the most notice.

And if the winners in Scotland and England are anything to go by, the word classic will need some stretching in the future.

It's all abstract formless crap...more or less....

I think i knoe where your getting.
but i have no idea..

I hate to agree with Kevin that right now what sells is abstract formless crap. People like experimentalism, structure, and form over function and didacticism. Bring back didactic poets. Also, time is a major component of "classics." However, no body gets deemed classic within 40 years. they may be cannonized, but that is a far cry from classic. Literary critic ben johnson said it depends on time, mainly because if he expects that if it isn't universal or if it is just pleasure reading that it will fade from memory while those books that pertain to moral, political, social, human issues will remain in thought and will continued to be studied. This is one reason that the nobel prize for literature doesn't usually go to a younger author, but is given to an older one who has a collection of works--to see how they stand out in time.

On the flip side, many of the cannonized authors over the last several decades suck, at least in my opinion, especially in the poetry department. As a matter of fact I hate most poetry because I think it muddles and confuses the reader, only to drown out universality with overly emotional abstract crap like Kevin said.

However, for the OP, some authors have written books, poems, that have been cannonized without the huge time wait, and they definately will be, or could be, considered classics. The one that best comes to mind is hemmingway's Old Man and the Sea. That was instantly cannonized and considered valuable to study even opnly after four years of its publication. So hey, you could write a something that is cannonized in your life time, and then goes on to be a classic after you die, but it better be genius.

Perfect response. Thanks for the feedback!

I definatly agree with cory you cant tell if what you write is going to be a classic or not you have to just write and see if it stands the test of time.