> Well, no takers for this one, it seems, unless I´ve not been receiving postings. Anyway, here are the writers of the lines quoted:
1. Roosters by Elizabeth Bishop
2. Florida by Elizabeth Bishop
3. The Portrait of a Lady by T S Eliot
4. Stealing by Carol Ann Duffy

My personal feeling is that the stating of self-evident facts in these examples is not detrimental to the effect the lines produce, with the possible exception of the 4th. `White snow´ does seem to be pushing one´s luck a bit. But I have so much respect for Duffy as a poet that I´m more inclined to think my reading is at fault than her writing. I think we had a discussion some months back about using redundant words in poetry. As I said then, my view (I think) is that a word may be redundant in terms of its meaning, but carry weight in terms of its contribution to rhythm and rhyme. I think that may be the case in these examples. 
If I´ve missed any messages because of blips in the system I´d be very interested to get them b/c.


Mike
> Lähettäjä: Mike Horwood <[log in to unmask]>
> Päiväys: 2003/11/19 ke AM 11:37:21 GMT+02:00
> Vastaanottaja: [log in to unmask]
> Aihe: teething trouble
> 
> > The two lines, `like teeth in the jaw of a snow leopard/ that stalks over starving slopes´, in my piece titled `Dents du Midi´ has drawn the following comment:-
>  
> > Haven't had the original of this yet --- but where the heck would teeth be
> > BUT in a jaw?
> > > 
> 
> This raises the interesting question of whether statements of self-evident facts should be excluded from poetry. Putting aside, for the moment, whether I´ve done this here myself, I think it would be interesting to hear opinions on the general principle. To illustrate the issue in question here are four extracts from poems, all by well-known and respected poets. Are my comments in brackets justified?
> 
> 
> 1. "the roosters brace their cruel feet and glare//with stupid eyes"
>    (Really, and what else could they glare with BUT their eyes?)
> 
> 2. Pelicans "drying their damp, gold wings"
>    (Well they would hardly be drying their dry wings, would they?)
> 
> 3. "...four wax candles in the darkened room,/Four rings of light upon the ceiling overhaed"
>    (That´s as opposed to the ceiling underfoot, I suppose.)
> 
> 4. "...A snowman./Midnight. He looked magnificent; a tall, white mute" 
>    (Oh come on. WHITE snow? A MUTE snowman? Give me a break.)
> 
> 
> Interesting, eh? It´s difficult to make judgements without seeing the whole context, of course, but with that proviso, what do you think? And actually the comment about the two lines from my poem was made without the rest of the poem having been seen. I´ll provide the source of these four extracts in a few days.
> 
> 
> 
> Best wishes,   Mike
>