Why Milosz not Herbert ?

Why Miłosz not Herbert got the Noble Prize ?
Evidently Herbert was much better poet and a human being as well.

Miłosz :



I don't remember exactly when Budberg died, it was either two years
ago or three.
The same with Chen. Whether last year or the one before.
Soon after our arrival, Budberg, gently pensive,
Said that in the beginning it is hard to get accustomed,
For here there is no spring or summer, no winter or fall.

Herbert:

We halted in a town the host
ordered the table to be moved to the garden the first star
shone out and faded we were breaking bread
crickets were heard in the twilight loosestrife
a cry but a cry of a child otherwise the bustle
of insects of men a thick scent of earth
those who were sitting with their backs to the wall
saw violet now - the gallows hill
on the wall the dense ivy of executions

Any Nobel Prize Committee member here?!
No...
hmmm,
then I guess we will never know

Milosc (who was a good person) had the edge and came to the attention of the Nobel Committee.


No doubt Zbigniew Herbert was nominated too, however there's one prize per year and the world has a lot of good poets and authors.

Fully agree.


I don't think that is completly true. Not every decision of Nobel Prize Committee is measurable and rational.

There's something in that. One of the current committee, an Elderly Swedish professor (I forget his name) intensely and openly dislikes American novels which is why Phillip Roth hasn't got one. There's also the rush to give the prize to people when they're still alive and when the choice is between an 80 year old and a 90 year old, the 90 year old gets it. Herbert died in his late seventies.

Did you ever meet him?


Do you agree that Herbert was a better poet ?

How well did you know them both personally? To compare,,that is.

Their poetry is distinctive. I don't really think, that you can compare poets or any other writer, painter etc. and measure which is better. You can only say which you like better. I like both Miłosz and Herbert.

For reason stated above I can't understand how Nobel Committee chooses who's the best writer. The idea seems absurd to me.

I agree with the thrust of what you say but Roth is crap.

Incidentally in the English speaking world American fiction is far superior to any thing else and has been for some time.

Then make a new thread, where all trolls could gather.

Quite.

OK, yes post was off topic, just responding to a comment about Roth. For goodness sake don't be so touchy.

I met only Miłosz. I don't have to know them personal to compare. Also Miłosz spent most of his live in America. Should get his prize as an American. He even wrote some of his poems in English, that telling.


I think that you can say who is a better poet.

Here I thought that I finally found interesting thread, where I could talk to intelligent and well-mannered people. Bummer again!

should be could - bummer!