[lit-ideas] Re: Sunday Poems
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 22 Jan 2006 16:55:46 -0800
You don't think the picture we get of the German, epitomizing the Germans of
WWII elicits pity and that this pity is ironic given the fact that Germany
went to war fancying it was the master race with an army of supermen? That
is what I see even after another reading.
Also, a poet's intention is not necessarily the last word about what the
poem means. If someone sees something in a poem the poet didn't consciously
put there, he won't necessarily be quick to say it isn't there. He'll look
and maybe he'll see it. This is a fairly common occurrence. In the days of
T.S. Eliot & Ezra Pound the New Critics relied upon their own interpretation
of what a poet meant and weren't particularly interested in what the poet
intended. Also, the intentions of the poet were typically not divulged
inasmuch as he subscribed to the idea that a poem should be rather than
mean. So he typically refused to respond when a reader asked him what he
meant
Lawrence
-----Original Message-----
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Ursula Stange
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 4:20 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Sunday Poems
'pitiful'? What could that possibly mean? I'm sure it's got nothing to
do with what David meant.
US in North Bay
Lawrence Helm wrote:
> Time has past and we have the perspective of the Germans. Despite what
> they thought at the time, we can see them now as rather pitiful,
> people we would not dream of associating with the term "master race."
>
>
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