I studied under the poet Richard Hugo. He was always very sceptical about trying to analyze poets like Eliot.
In discussing the meaning of poets, he would often say, "be careful about the poet who says 'I love you'. You never know if he means it or just likes the sound of the words."
Another anecdote involves Robert Frost, who was asked about the message behind "A Road Not Taken." Was it a reference to his choice of career or a major life decision?
He responded with a shrug that he was walking in the woods once and saw a fork in the road. He thought it would make a good poem.
Quote:
Originally Posted by weinhold  Let us go then, you and I, when the evening is spread out against the sky like a patient etherized upon a table . . .
What a great poet! |
Paul, sometimes Prufrock makes my hair stand on end. "And in short, I was afraid."