Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 19:02:42 -0500 From: George Trail <gtrail-AT-UH.EDU> Subject: Re: PLC: A poem to critique Dear Bill B, Wedge your tongue between your nigh front teeth. I am going to be stern. Hear me out.i'm in the brackets, per usual. g >Pat, > >There is something to what he says. >To base one's judgement on a poem (or any work of >art) by simply liking it or not liking it runs >the risk of approaching it on the lowest level of >what we [who be we?] call psychological aesthetics: the school >of "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." > >There is such a thing as "formal" aesthetics, one >that deals with proportion, balance, texture, >etc.. [There are forumulae for say flower arranging in particular schools of ikebana, but there are no formulae for judgment. That's why there are judges.] I'm sure you know all this but maybe need >to be reminded so that you and Stirling can >approach the idea more dispassionately. [iIce try. You do real well as a respondent, but your air of being capable of refereeing a combat of which you knot little has been exhausted.] > >And it's not at all a case of having or not >having taste. The question is how refined is the >taste of any human being. Children have a taste >for bright colors and fantastic images, hence, >Maurice Sendak (sp?). A lengthy exposure to fine >art of any type, and a serious study of criticism >(by excellent art critics) for a length of time >refines the taste, for no other purpose than to >derive the utmost of pleasure from those works >experienced [thanks, now I'll go read my Pater, as if I wanted a lecture on this subject. You know not to whom you write, nor who you address particularly.] > >God Almighty doesn't issue aesthetic edicts; God >or nature creates natural beauty, we create man or >woman made beautiful objects. We comment >critically on nature's beauty, but we wouldn't >presume that it should be any other way than it >is. Man made art is another thing. [They ain't nuther art than man-made, forgiving your embedded sexism.] > >I can't speak for Stirling, [Meaning you _can_ speak for Pat, why?] but if you take a >look at Arnold's "Dover Beach," you may find one >of the English language's perfect poems. From >Wordsworth's Lucy poems, see "A slumber did my >spirit seal." See also Frost's "Birches," and if >you're adventurous, see his "Death of the Hired >Man." Or look at Whitman almost anywhere. [I'll go with the Whitman, but your tone is insufferably condescending. ] > >Again, I probably don't need to tell you, but >maybe others would care to go to the library and >look into the Encyclopedia of Philosophy for the >article on "Aesthetics." It goes on for several >pages and explains somewhat the difference >betweem formal and psychological aesthetics. > >I hope you don't think I'm lecturing, and I hope >this is a bit helpful. [Audience, audience, audience. this is not even a lecture. I would't give it to a first year college student. NIcw to see you again Bill. Glad I seem to have restrained your uge to trash Walt the amaing. > >Regards, > >Bill Ball > > > > > >> OK, so you're not just a human being with taste. You're God almighty >>issuing >> aesthetic edicts. I'd still like to see a poem you think is good, if there >> is such a thing, because it would give me a better idea of where you're >> coming from. First thing I want to know, when a person comes on like >> gangbusters in a very negative way, is whether that's the only dimension to >> that person. Some people bitch about everything, but have no idea what they >> like--or, if you like la da da rhetoric--what would be deemed worthy of >>their >> "aesthetic approval." >> >> Take it as a compliment that I'm asking these things. I'm willing to >> consider taking you seriously if you can show me a reason I ought to do so. >> All you've come up with so far is some smart aleck remarks and a few >> unreadable or incomprehensible paragraphs of "aesthetic theory." I'm just >> asking for an example of what you call "aesthetic theory" in operation. If >> you never saw a poem that you liked, not to worry. That's just you. Is that >> the case? >> >> pat sloane >> >WILLIAM BALL, Professor of Humanities >Franklin Pierce College >ballw-AT-rindge.fpc.edu > > "Wisdom is what's left when > you forget all the facts." > > > > > > --- from list phillitcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu --- --- from list phillitcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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