When a writer meets the bare conditions of a form, can the writer be said to be the master of that form? Put another way, Lang Leav meets the conditions of poetry in her latest book, The Universe of Us. Each page contains an emotion (love), its absence (heartbreak or loneliness) and some lines about same, but can she call herself a poet? 
 How about if a few thousand Asian women roughly her age and her East Asian studies publisher-boyfriend think Lang Leav is an accomplished poet, does group aspiration make this fact true? Partially. Only within the group. 
 I do think her books may serve a useful function that is related to English poetry. I would say that it is gateway poetry in English for the Asian ESL set. To illustrate this point, I want you to read my beautiful and accomplished poetry that I have slaved over for many nights, which springs from my innumerable passionate, love affairs. 
 Wo Hen Shang Xin . 
 Xin De Ai Shi Yi Ge Kai Fang De Yu Zhou . 
 Wo Bu Zai Shang Xin . 
 If you are an ESL teacher currently teaching in Mainland China, I am probably the most stylish and best Mandarin poet that you have now ever heard of. Quite humbly, I am a modern master. I have now taught you everything about modern Mandarin poetry, which I have precociously conquered. I also freed this strain of poetry from its historical precedents, which I have no need of learning. I am amazing.