Born in 1949, John Cooper Clarke, the punk poet, is a symbol of the punk rock era. The mere fact that he managed to make a living from writing poetry in this day and age is an amazing feat on its own. He toured with poetry reciting shows, sharing the bill with Joy Division or the Sex Pistols. His voice, and distinct Salford accent, added to his brilliant texts and quick delivery make for very entertaining shows.
There are quite a few of his works I love, but my favourite might be the oh so simple "Haiku number 1":
To convey one's mood
In seventeen syllables
Is very diffic
Recently the Arctic Monkeys put one of his most famous poems, "I wanna be yours", into music. Here is Dr Clarke himself talking about it and then reciting the poem. Look at this man. You just gotta love him!
And here is the song:
