tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8183662.post111407135691980707..comments2023-06-13T21:46:20.222+01:00Comments on A few words: Self portrait in 30 statementsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8183662.post-1117262529826908662005-05-28T07:42:00.000+01:002005-05-28T07:42:00.000+01:00An opinion is not a fact; that someone holds that ...An opinion is not a fact; that someone holds that opinion <I>is</I>.<BR/><BR/>I don't say I think Larkin's poetry is affected by what we now know of his private life. I was writing for an American audience and wished to preempt the argument that it would be or should be. To me, anyone who can read his poetry and come away with the impression that he was a mild sexless recluse is mad or stupid or both; there is no dissonance between his private and public utterances, only variations in subject matter.<BR/><BR/>Having said that, I'm still left with the vague feeling that our opinion of poetry-as-communication-with-someone's-mind is affected by what we beleive about that mind: would those (not me) who think "I wandered lonely as a cloud" is a transcendent piece of poetry still feel the same if they found out he shagged a sheep on the way home?Martin Locockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17198668398629742974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8183662.post-1117248486414305692005-05-28T03:48:00.000+01:002005-05-28T03:48:00.000+01:00" I did not know most of those facts. "Hmm, not to..." I did not know most of those facts. "<BR/><BR/>Hmm, not too surprising. I'm his brother and I didn't know half of that lot. <BR/><BR/>Oh, and are opinions facts? "I think that cloud is pretty". Is that a fact? It might be fact that I think it, but that still doesn't make the cloud pretty, or not.<BR/><BR/>And why does anyone think that Larkin's porn collection (etc) affects the reputation of his poems? If I live a life of perfect rectitude and write dross is that somehow better dross than if I were a scumbag?<BR/><BR/>Cheers<BR/><BR/>GregAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8183662.post-1114541953291420482005-04-26T19:59:00.000+01:002005-04-26T19:59:00.000+01:00I did not know most of those facts. The 'Anne' men...I did not know most of those facts. The 'Anne' mentioned in my site just graduated with a Bachelors in Classical archaeology (with a focus on Greece). She's headed to England next month to check out grad schools, including (I think) Cambridge. Then she's off to a two-month dig on Crete. Hopefully she'll be writing about her adventures as she goes.sichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174928639311912686noreply@blogger.com