10-28-2014, 11:40 PM
Thanks, cidermaid. Personally, I'm inclined to agree with you regarding the poem's accessibility. It is difficult without some prior knowledge of the subject. And yet, on another site the poem was highly praised and I've also recently been reminded that we should not dumb down our work to cater for lazy readers. I'm quoting, I'm not sure which side of that fence I'm on.
Anyhow, to details. Basically, the non-italicized verses are meant to summarise Benjamin Rush's philosophy and those italicized a very compressed biography of his eldest son.
Dicing refers to gambling.
Sanity is ....the aptitude to judge like other men - a direct quote from Rush. He's a fascinating character for me. You mentioned his attitude to skin colour and I've another, better, poem on that subject. In short, he believed the skin pigmentation of the negro was a result of leprosy. Thus, though he disapproved of slavery he believed the negro required not emancipation and equality, but treatment and segregation. He's a prime example of how psychiatry consistently fails those whose cause they should be championing. He cannot countenance that the prevailing structure is corrupted, that would be evidence of insanity. The fault must be located in the victim.
worsened - yeah, I think you're right.
Anyhow, to details. Basically, the non-italicized verses are meant to summarise Benjamin Rush's philosophy and those italicized a very compressed biography of his eldest son.
Dicing refers to gambling.
Sanity is ....the aptitude to judge like other men - a direct quote from Rush. He's a fascinating character for me. You mentioned his attitude to skin colour and I've another, better, poem on that subject. In short, he believed the skin pigmentation of the negro was a result of leprosy. Thus, though he disapproved of slavery he believed the negro required not emancipation and equality, but treatment and segregation. He's a prime example of how psychiatry consistently fails those whose cause they should be championing. He cannot countenance that the prevailing structure is corrupted, that would be evidence of insanity. The fault must be located in the victim.
worsened - yeah, I think you're right.
Before criticising a person try walking a mile in their shoes. Then when you do criticise that person, you are a mile away.... and you have their shoes.