The fact that I have to argue it with you shows how much you've changed over the past few years. It's rather sad.
Answer the question. It's valid on its own even if it's vague your taste. Simply asking another question is condescending.
She asked a pretty direct question there. Instead you shoehorn the fact that you can read multiple languages into the conversation, all without answering.
Another condescending question to answer a question. Still no answer. It's not stupid to suggest a particular form of literature has particular importance.
Still another non-answer, and more shoehorning. She asked why these poems ought to be read, not whether she could read them. It's in tremendously bad faith to simply answer in terms of one's supposed inability, rather than speaking to the merit of the poems themselves, which is not an unreasonable question. It's in even worse faith that you willfully discounted the merits of translation, however limiting it might be. It's in absolutely terrible faith that you selected ONLY non-english poets to bring into the conversation started by a poet who is an english speaker. One less charitable than I would think you did the last simply to have one final parting shot at the end of the survey. One less charitable than I might conclude that you sound like a bitter High School teacher passive-aggressively bullying people online for showing unguarded enthusiasm about something they've staked an implicit claim on.
Do you think that poetry deserves a wider readership?
I assume you mean a wider, non-required reading readership?
I assume you mean a wider, non-required reading readership?
Answer the question. It's valid on its own even if it's vague your taste. Simply asking another question is condescending.
Do bookstores with no designated poetry section but entire shelves full of Ayn Rand and Bibles make you angry?
Don't get the part about Bibles, especially since the Bible contains some truly wonderful poetry of its own. Rand I could do without, though.
If you had a beautiful little bookstore and could stock it with whatever you wanted, wouldn't you have a section devoted to poetry?
In how many languages? Most of my favorite poems aren't in English, despite English being my native language.
Don't get the part about Bibles, especially since the Bible contains some truly wonderful poetry of its own. Rand I could do without, though.
If you had a beautiful little bookstore and could stock it with whatever you wanted, wouldn't you have a section devoted to poetry?
In how many languages? Most of my favorite poems aren't in English, despite English being my native language.
She asked a pretty direct question there. Instead you shoehorn the fact that you can read multiple languages into the conversation, all without answering.
Why is poetry important?
For the same reason other forms of literature are important
For the same reason other forms of literature are important
Another condescending question to answer a question. Still no answer. It's not stupid to suggest a particular form of literature has particular importance.
What are your favorite poems?
Quite a few from Bécquer, Rubén Darío, Rilke, Catullus, Ariosto, etc. Not bothering to list particular poems since I'm not going to spend a long time looking up all the poems I like.
Who are your favorite poets?
See above.
How did you discover them?
Combination of literature courses, foreign language courses, and independent study over the past two decades or so.
Why should I read them? I am compiling a christmas list, and need to know.
Unless you read Spanish, Latin, or German, you couldn't read them as they ought to be read.
Quite a few from Bécquer, Rubén Darío, Rilke, Catullus, Ariosto, etc. Not bothering to list particular poems since I'm not going to spend a long time looking up all the poems I like.
Who are your favorite poets?
See above.
How did you discover them?
Combination of literature courses, foreign language courses, and independent study over the past two decades or so.
Why should I read them? I am compiling a christmas list, and need to know.
Unless you read Spanish, Latin, or German, you couldn't read them as they ought to be read.
Still another non-answer, and more shoehorning. She asked why these poems ought to be read, not whether she could read them. It's in tremendously bad faith to simply answer in terms of one's supposed inability, rather than speaking to the merit of the poems themselves, which is not an unreasonable question. It's in even worse faith that you willfully discounted the merits of translation, however limiting it might be. It's in absolutely terrible faith that you selected ONLY non-english poets to bring into the conversation started by a poet who is an english speaker. One less charitable than I would think you did the last simply to have one final parting shot at the end of the survey. One less charitable than I might conclude that you sound like a bitter High School teacher passive-aggressively bullying people online for showing unguarded enthusiasm about something they've staked an implicit claim on.
Poetry:
08/11/2010 02:07:39 AM
- 1593 Views
Re: Poetry:
08/11/2010 04:13:38 AM
- 1074 Views
This is why people dislike you.
09/11/2010 07:03:17 PM
- 1062 Views
Umm...I care?
09/11/2010 08:42:55 PM
- 1037 Views
Because you should care about being intelligent, rather than appearing to be intelligent.
09/11/2010 10:32:04 PM
- 1071 Views
Again, why would I care?
09/11/2010 10:38:21 PM
- 1087 Views
No one can make you care about being decent, or intelligent, or a viable member of the community.
09/11/2010 10:41:34 PM
- 999 Views
I think it's rather pointless, to be honest.
09/11/2010 10:54:17 PM
- 1025 Views
Then why are you even here?
09/11/2010 10:59:49 PM
- 983 Views
I don't know. I thought I'd see how long I could string you along.
09/11/2010 11:00:37 PM
- 906 Views
You're the one who doesn't care.
09/11/2010 11:02:11 PM
- 956 Views
I care only as much as I care. What others think is irrelevant to that.
09/11/2010 11:04:15 PM
- 949 Views
But you're still responding to me.
09/11/2010 11:05:37 PM
- 1019 Views
Because I'm stringing you out until you quit.
09/11/2010 11:10:18 PM
- 1061 Views
I'm not going to. I find this entertaining.
09/11/2010 11:12:27 PM
- 1010 Views
I do as well. It's fun pretending to be an asshole, I'll admit.
09/11/2010 11:17:34 PM
- 991 Views
Come now, who's pretending?
09/11/2010 11:22:18 PM
- 1003 Views
That is officially the last one before I start editing and making them NM.
*NM*
09/11/2010 11:24:12 PM
- 465 Views

Me, most of the time
09/11/2010 11:40:26 PM
- 990 Views
Keep telling yourself that. *NM*
09/11/2010 11:46:34 PM
- 863 Views
Why would I? It's not something I think much about these days. Again, what others think is trivial. *NM*
10/11/2010 12:01:03 AM
- 491 Views
Are you 5?
09/11/2010 11:14:26 PM
- 867 Views
Nah
09/11/2010 11:15:48 PM
- 1118 Views
But you were asked about it originally. That was my point.
09/11/2010 11:23:25 PM
- 923 Views
And I was evasive about it at the time. When pressed, I answered more fully.
09/11/2010 11:48:27 PM
- 996 Views
Why be evasive?
10/11/2010 12:16:19 AM
- 1098 Views
Because I didn't want to spend an hour pulling out a few dozen books.
10/11/2010 12:19:55 AM
- 1111 Views
Ye gods. Could you people at the very, very least make your messages NM?
09/11/2010 11:17:25 PM
- 969 Views
I must say, I'm glad you all decided to play up when I was having an evening off.
*NM*
10/11/2010 12:08:59 PM
- 442 Views

I disagree with your claim that there can be no value in translations.
09/11/2010 08:51:20 PM
- 976 Views
Not "no value", but "different value" is what I would argue
09/11/2010 09:55:54 PM
- 1061 Views
I don't disagree, but you can't possibly learn all languages, yet you can read translations of all.
09/11/2010 10:56:58 PM
- 1061 Views
My choice, hands down, is to ignore the poetry in languages I don't read.
10/11/2010 01:44:32 AM
- 995 Views
An English translation of The Divine Comedy was pivotal to my conversion to Christianity.
10/11/2010 11:04:57 AM
- 914 Views
Ooh, good survey. I've been thinking for a while we needed more poetry discussion.
08/11/2010 10:58:24 AM
- 1158 Views
I think you underestimate the number of translations of the Bible.
09/11/2010 01:20:30 AM
- 1123 Views
Did they just translate logos as... life-light?
09/11/2010 07:14:28 PM
- 1006 Views
Yes. Yes, they did. *NM*
09/11/2010 09:56:09 PM
- 386 Views
I can count the poems I enjoy on one hand. Two fingers, in fact.
08/11/2010 06:05:22 PM
- 1028 Views
I think poetry is largely overrated.
08/11/2010 06:12:59 PM
- 1111 Views
the problem is most good poets are dead and dead people tend to fail at marketing
08/11/2010 06:44:18 PM
- 1056 Views
I like some poetry, but by no means all.
09/11/2010 12:28:41 AM
- 1147 Views
Now that you mention it, The Imperfect Enjoyment might rank among my favourite poems.
*NM*
09/11/2010 12:46:56 AM
- 407 Views

It is excellent
09/11/2010 08:16:01 PM
- 1147 Views
Re: Poetry:
10/11/2010 04:57:31 PM
- 966 Views
Re: Nice
11/11/2010 01:39:48 AM
- 1110 Views
Man. . . That voice? Yeah. He should be reading me stories every night.
11/11/2010 11:57:02 AM
- 1248 Views
Re: Man. . . That voice? Yeah. He should be reading me stories every night.
12/11/2010 04:36:22 AM
- 1965 Views