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Unread 05-01-2012, 03:14 PM
Duncan Gillies MacLaurin Duncan Gillies MacLaurin is offline
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Saeby, Denmark
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I agree the title isn't immediately appealing. But I don't find it alienating, and my feeling is it wins in time.

I don't agree with others that the sestet should/could stand alone. It's hard won by the effort of the octet. And thus the title refers also to this matching of the effort of the octet and the reward of the sestet. I like how they contrast with each other and yet are made for each other, i.e. matched.

Both octet and sestet have their own tone and mood and feel. So at L9 we have a real volte (for once). The octet has a masculine/macho/loner identity, and the sestet has a feminine/couple identity. In the sestet there is a beautifully understated love and sexual passion, and this gives extra resonance to the octet on a subsequent rereading. Matched again. And the "macho" identity of the octet is also "matched".

To those who says this needs some work, I beg to differ.

Catherine has three concrete points. To answer these:

1) The title isn't as trivial as first imatchined.

2) The four instances of "that" do not make the poem "sound stilted". One could just as well say it makes the poem hypnotising and fluid.

3) Yes, the two stanzas contradict each other with regard to "every ending is the same". There is a natural disagreement between the stanzas - the different perspectives afforded by solitude and companionship.

I can find no fault. And I also think it is a remarkably good sonnet. One that grows stronger on rereading. The 1st-person N presented initially subsequently recedes into the background, yet is present throughout. This is a N that has something to tell us, one that is actually involved in the actions that are described, not a mere observer.

To Dave - I would guess that "flywheeling" is an overarm action wherby one hurls a stick/branch high up in the air.

This is my favourite so far.

Duncan
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