Adam, no apology is needed for a digression that is teaching me so much. Thank you for the time, thought, and work you've devoted to the essay above. The distinction you make between the braininess of Donaghy and the emotional pull of Paterson describes my own reactions pretty well. I'll still be very interested in David's essay, and I'm a subscriber to TDH, so I know I'll see it.
I didn't know "The Thread" and am glad to have been introduced to it.
Shall we say something about the types of Paterson poems you like less? You mentioned the couplets, which I suspect are the ones I've seen reviewers refer to as "Ogden Nash-like." To me, that means lines that rhyme but are of very different lengths; in Nash these are deliberately unskilled-looking, on purpose and for humor. How about some examples of what doesn't work for you?
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