What matters? Why does it matter? Last week my English homework included reading various Walt Whitman poems. At the beginning of class my English teacher launched into an explanation of why Whitman matters. Typical of most famous poets, he changed some aspect of poetry. I his particular case, he introduced what we now think of as free verse. Whitman is important within the world of poetry because he changed it. Why is this justification for his stature?

Another famous poet, Homer, is...