John, thanks for weighing in.
I'll try not to venture into defending the poem, but for the sake of conversation I think there's the possibility of some words invoking a feeling in of themselves, even if they aren't concrete.
It's not that I don't see your point, I just find the 'show, don't tell' advice taken to it's extreme at times. It must be a matter of taste as there is a lot of material that people love, that I just don't. Poems that are filled with concrete, disparate images, and when I get to the end of the poem I feel like my senses have been stimulated, but I don't feel much wiser.
That being said you weighing in definitely helps me understand how the poem is being read, so please don't take this as argumentative. I just enjoy discussing poetry (what else does one do??).
Thanks again
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