I feel like I keep harping on this issue, but I wanted to direct folks to yet another mixed/dubious analysis of Merwin’s appointment.

I was originally drawn to this piece because it seems an incredibly well thought out explanation that seems to summarize many of my own vague feelings of unease and disappointment.

Now though, I am more struck by the first comment someone left below the article – a Mr. Conrad DiDiodato.

He notes that the appointment “seems to be sticking in everybody’s craw” and asks about the “hidden psychology of resentment underlies much of [it].”

So, the question becomes – how much of this is about me? Merwin has been a highly respected poet and man of letters for decades. I admit to admiring some of his earlier work. But he’s just not my cup of tea. Yet somehow, his appointment inspires in me (and others) a certain deeply held resentment.

What did we really want? What is he failing to personify?

Is this actually part of a feeling of disappointment that creative class has felt regarding the Obama administration?

Are we reacting to hidden statements about the poetry and the poet’s place in America?

I don’t actually have answers. But I suppose it is true that I have not honestly asked the question – if it’s not you, Merwin, is it me?