Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark McDonnell
I think it does matter that it's an allusion because the fact of it being an allusion offsets and justifies its artificial, old-fashioned-ness. It gives it a reason for being there.
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We will just have to disagree, I guess. I think a poem should still sound like it belongs to its time period, even if it's alluding to an older poem. I recognize that not everyone will agree with that, and that's fine. But the only reason I would ever use "alas" in a poem would be for humorous effect.