The Who Mailing List Digest V5 #247 -Reply

[Eric Tischler <EricT@ACA.ORG>]

>She would also invert syntax to get a rhyme, if she needed to.

If Dickinson's so great with rhymes, why did she have to invert syntax to
get a rhyme? Hell, anybody can get a rhyme that way.

>I did NOT spend six years in graduate school to have it all dismissed in
one sentence by you. 

McGoo, get over yourself. Who gives a shit what anyone but you thinks
of your PhD? And I hope you didn't spend those six years for the
credibility, because, as an editor (my posts notwithstanding :)), I can tell
you a PhD doesn't mean shit when it comes to the ability to communicate.

>I will now present you all with an example of what I think is masterful
use of language ... OK, all you scholars out there, this poem has got it all.
 There are six different types of rhymes.  Symbolism, metaphores and
imagery.

I wonder, does it take a scholar to have an opinion? I think the rhyme
scheme in your poem (the worm/snake/string one) is overbearing; the
easy, "Hickory Dickory Dock" rhythm threatens to subvert the meaning of
the words and, in some cases, seems to weaken the poem for the sake
of meeting the rhyme. The most important thing about this critique is the I
made it, meaning my opinion counts as much as yours. You love rhyming
-super. You have very rigid ideas about what makes a good metaphor -
no problem. However, you need to recognize that it's art, not math, that
we're discussing. As such, it's not quantifiable; your repeated attempts
to prove that Pete is inferior to Emily are ridiculous. You could argue that
those of us arguing for Pete are equally ridiculous, but I would say all we
have to do to prove you "wrong" is tell you why you're wrong. Pete
moves more of us on this list, so you can't say definitively he's 1/16 th
the poet Dickinson is. He doesn't measure up to your arbitrary standards.
How does Dickinson stack up against William Carlos Williams? Raymond
Carver? Most of Dickinson's strengths (as described by you) seem to be
weaknesses to me. Art's entirely subjective, so I win in my, own mind,
as you win in yours, and bothe Pete and Emily win, too. -E