MacArthur said on the other Frost thread:
"(And Caleb-- maybe I'm nuts...maybe I'm deaf, dumb and blind-- but "The Impulse" doesn't seem like a very good poem at all, to me. It looks and sounds winceingly, embarassingly bad.)"
Mac, you didn't say why you didn't like it, but I think your remark is a good illustration of how far apart people can be on a topic which, to both of them, seems obvious. To me, The Impulse isn't just a successful poem, it's a perfect poem in every respect. The language is clear, simple and lovely; the story builds perfectly to its conclusion; the rhythms and rhymes are pleasant; it has a good opening and a good ending. I could make a list of all the elements that make a poem successful, and this poem would succeed on all counts.
Why don't you like it? Is there anyone else who doesn't like it?
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