"The trouble with the performance poets is that they don't seem to have read anything. So there is not a real sense of the poetic tradition in their work"

This quote by Peter Davison recommends that efficiency poets lack a sense of the poetic tradition in their work. He indicates that this is because they have not check out enough to be acquainted with the poetic tradition. This could be interpreted as a criticism of efficiency poets, as Davison suggests that they are not as knowledgeable about the poetic custom as they ought to be. However, it could also be seen as a call to action for performance poets to become more familiar with the poetic tradition, so that they can develop more significant and powerful work. Eventually, this quote functions as a reminder that understanding of the poetic custom is necessary for creating meaningful and powerful poetry.