He got me into poetry, so that's something. His stuff is really repetitive, but there's a certain charm to it, especially for guys in high school or early college interested in writing poetry but who want to read something relatable and are currently unable to relate to more complicated works. He was the first poet I really felt a connection to, which made me interestes in other poets; so, I moved on to Ginsberg, and from Ginsberg (who still stands among my favorite poets), I moved on to Eliot and Yeats and the other Modernists and then the brilliant poets of the Harlem Renaissance (In part due to my absolutely brilliant Black Lit professor), and from there I was enraptured by the form and immersed myself in the entire poetic canon.

In short, he's not a poetic genius, but he's enjoyable in small bursts and is easily accessible and inspirational to people who are at the very least somewhat interested in poetry; his distinctive voice and obvious love for writing poetry make him potentially inspirational for these readers, just as he was to me.