Enam Belas Larangan Buat Penyair Oleh Arthur Guiterman

“Don’t think of yourself as a poet, and don’t dress the part.

“Don’t classify yourself as a member of any special school or group.

“Don’t call your quarters a garret or a studio.

“Don’t frequent exclusively the company of writers.

“Don’t think of any class of work that you feel moved to do as either beneath you or above you.

“Don’t complain of lack of appreciation. (In the long run no really good published work can escape appreciation.)

“Don’t think you are entitled to any special rights, privileges, and immunities as a literary person, or have any more reason to consider your possible lack of fame a grievance against the world than has any shipping-clerk or traveling-salesman.

“Don’t speak of poetic license or believe that there is any such thing.

“Don’t tolerate in your own work any flaws in rhythm, rhyme, melody, or grammar.

“Don’t use ‘e’er’ for ‘ever,’ ‘o’er’ for ‘over,’ ‘whenas’ or ‘what time’ for ‘when,’ or any of the ‘poetical’ commonplaces of the past.

“Don’t say ‘did go’ for ‘went,’ even if you need an extra syllable.

“Don’t omit articles or prepositions for the sake of the rhythm.

“Don’t have your book published at your own expense by any house that makes a practice of publishing at the author’s expense.

“Don’t write poems about unborn babies.

“Don’t—don’t write hymns to the great god Pan. He is dead; let him rest in peace!

“Don’t write what everybody else is writing.”

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