Is it, then, your opinion Women are putty in your hands?…
““Is it, then, your opinion Women are putty in your hands? Is this the face to launch upon A thousand one night stands? First, please, would you be so kind As to define your contribution To modern verse, the Western mind And human institutions? Where, where is the long, flowing hair, The velvet suit, the broad bow tie; Where is the other-worldly air, Where the abstracted eye? Describe the influence on your verse Of Oscar Mudwarp’s mighty line, The theories of Susan Schmersch Or the spondee’s decline. You’ve labored to present us with This mouse-sized volume; shall this equal The epic glories of Joe Smith? He’s just brought out a sequel. Where are the beard, the bongo drums, Tattered T-shirt and grubby sandals, As who, released from Iowa, comes To tell of wondrous scandals? Have you subversive, out of date, Or controversial ideas? And can you really pull your weight Among such minds as these? Ah, what avails the tenure race, Ah, what the Ph.D., When all departments have a place For nincompoops like thee?””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The speaker mocks a poet’s pretensions, demanding substance over style and questioning academic elitism.
In simple terms: Mocking pretentious poetry and academic vanity
Key Takeaway
Criticize empty rhetoric, demand authentic work
Themes
satire
academic criticism
literary critique
Mood
irritated
skeptical
Type
satirical
critical
When to use this quote
- university seminars
- literary readings
- creative writing workshops
- academic conferences
Key Concepts
pretension
elitism
authenticity
Questions to Reflect On
- What makes poetry meaningful?
- How does academia shape artistic value?
A Different Perspective
May overlook genuine innovation in favor of critique