[Milton-L] interpreting poems variously [was Satan etc.]

[Christine Gilmore]

It is a wonder how much students like things to/that flow, seeming to make it the most important quality of a piece of writing.

Ambiguity does leave room for a play of interpretations, though the poem itself provides the context for those interpretations, generally. I'll agree with another poster, Socrates/Plato had good reason to want to keep those poets out of his republic who would not work at the government's behest.

Christine

Christine Gilmore, MFA, MA, PhD
pamphilia at earthlink.net

-----Original Message-----
From: milton-l-bounces at lists.richmond.edu [mailto:milton-l-bounces at lists.richmond.edu] On Behalf Of gilliaca at jmu.edu
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 8:35 AM
To: John Milton Discussion List
Subject: Re: [Milton-L] interpreting poems variously [was Satan etc.]


.>
>   
>   How widespread is the notion that poetry is a
>   splendid thing (in some part or in large
>   part) because one can interpret it however one
>   likes?
>    
>   When in English Lit. history does the notion that
>   ambiguity of meaning is a constituative
>   characteristic of poetry first appear?
>    

Ambiguity doesn't mean you can interpret however you like.

OTOH, I have often had undergraduates say they like poetry because 'it can mean what it means to me.' This is usually followed by the observation that the poem being discussed "flows smoothly." I am proud to say that I taught for more years than I care to number and never gave in to the temptation ofpointing out other, less pleasant things that "flowed smoothly."

C
Cynthia A. Gilliatt
English Department, JMU, ret.
JMU Safe Zones supporter
"You have made God in your own image when God hates the same people you hate." Fr. John Weston

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