Tim, I agree it never ended there. My main point was that nothing since has been as acute in changing the way we write poetry. Any innovation that came later has always been regarded as marginal in comparison. It’s hard to re-invent the wheel, so to speak. Eliot, Joyce, Stein et al. kicked open a door, others are now walking through it. For me, it is the opening of the door that is of more significance.
Original Message:
I don't agree with Jeffrey either, which makes a nice change. I think,
considering all the evidence, it is a huge claim to make. I love the
Waste Land. I love Finnegans Wake, both were immense innovations
within the context of high modernism, but it never ended there as Bob
points out below. What those works did achieve though was iconic
status, which is very understandable, but I think Jeffrey is confusing
that iconic status with something else.
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