My Life Was a Trainwreck. Then I Read This Poem.

A.O. Scott seeks practical wisdom in a villanelle by Wendy Cope.

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Isabella Cotier

By A.O. Scott and Aliza Aufrichtig

A.O. Scott is a critic at large for the Book Review. Aliza Aufrichtig is a visual journalist.

May 28, 2026

Where do you turn when you need advice? A chatbot? A life coach? A wise and trusted friend?

How about a poet? Poets may not be famous for making the best life choices, but because they subject the mess of human existence to the discipline of language, they can be as helpful as any therapist or mentor.

Good poets know the rules and when to break them, which is something they can teach the rest of us.

To wit:

Some   Rules   by   Wendy   Cope