--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Ever since roughly 1890, when snot poets…" description: "\"Ever since roughly 1890, when snot poets first decided that rhyme was confining and unnecessary, every idiot with a pen fancied hisself a poet. The mer..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/gene-weingarten-5231_decided_ever-since-roughly-1890-when-snot-poets_2046832.png" --- # Ever since roughly 1890, when snot poets first decided… ![“Ever since roughly 1890, when snot poets first decided that rhyme was confining and unnecessary, every idiot with a pen fancied hisself a poet. The mere act of rhyming was suddenly regarded as a quaint, mannered, and uncool atavism, consigning doggerelists like me to the trash bin of literary…” quote by Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/gene-weingarten-5231_decided_ever-since-roughly-1890-when-snot-poets_2046832.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/gene-weingarten-5231_decided_ever-since-roughly-1890-when-snot-poets_2046832.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/119/gene-weingarten-5231_decided_ever-since-roughly-1890-when-snot-poets_2046832.png) > “Ever since roughly 1890, when snot poets first decided that rhyme was confining and unnecessary, every idiot with a pen fancied hisself a poet. The mere act of rhyming was suddenly regarded as a quaint, mannered, and uncool atavism, consigning doggerelists like me to the trash bin of literary history.” [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote satirizes how modern poets reject rhyme, labeling traditional verse as outdated while claiming poetic legitimacy without skill. **In simple terms:** Modern poets dismiss rhyme as old-fashioned while still calling themselves poets. Key Takeaway Question the value of form versus authenticity. Themes satire literary criticism humor Mood playful ironic critical Type satirical commentary When to use this quote - creative writing workshops - literary criticism - self‑assessment - teaching poetry - publishing Key Concepts modernism authenticity form vs content Questions to Reflect On - Do you value form in art? - How does rebellion affect quality? A Different Perspective Rhyme can still be a powerful tool when used intentionally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Decided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decided/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot/) [Like me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-me/) [Mere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mere/) [Pens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pens/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poets Decided](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets-decided-3837216/) [Quaint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quaint/) [Rhyme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhyme/) [Rhyme Confining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhyme-confining-3837215/) [Rhyming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhyming/) [Rhyming Suddenly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhyming-suddenly-3837214/) [Snot Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/snot-poets-3837213/) [Trash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trash/) [Uncool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uncool/) [Unnecessary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unnecessary/) ## Related quotes > [The idea that war should be conducted within a moral framework may seem like a quaint medieval practice, but as speech separates humans from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-idea-that-war-should-be-conducted-within-a-moral-framework-may/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Poetical feelings are a peril to scholarship. 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