Quote:
Originally Posted by R. Nemo Hill
I pretty much agree with John. I feel like the poem is worked out using the head, most poems are, and that the head in this case is a formidable instrument; yet the poem's thrust is not specifically cerebral. Its references, like "Happy Days", can be taken at face value (much like Mark's references in his Ulysses poem) or they can have an added academic layer to enhance them. But the language of the poem is quite clear and primal. I mean, pull out individual phrases, and test their tenor: the imagery is strong, often brutal, "gouging".
Of course, in the end, it must be true that one man's cerebral is another man's ______________.
Nemo
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I enjoyed the bolded.
It's maybe also worthwhile noting that it's not just a question of where the poem originates, but also a question of voice and who the poet is. The poem is usually going to be a projection of the poet's voice and personality.
Ted Gioia wrote that in the jazz world one way of listening to the music is to find the musician's personality in what you're hearing. Bill Evans played quiet, reflective, intelligent music. Adderley had fire in his belly. I don't see why it should be any different with poetry.
It may or may not be true that this is a cerebral poem, but what is definitely true is that it's reflective of Cameron's voice and personality, it's the way he wants to write.
When I brought up the cerebral/visceral dichotomy, I definitely didn't intend it to be a negative criticism at all, it was just an impression of how the poem reads to me. It feels deliberate and measured, precise.