The story of Agassiz and the fish appears early on in ABC of Reading.
Agassiz asks his students to describe a fish. Off they go an come back with
a list of scientific terms etc. He tells them to have another go and they do
a similar thing. Eventually he tells them to *look* at the fish. It is a
good story and is intended as part of Pound's attack on those who "know
everything" about a subject without actually understanding it.
 
I don't think the story of Agassiz and the fish is a very apt analogy for
the sort of thing that goes on in this list. One of the uses of a list of
this sort is to serve as a sort of online, specialist "Notes and Queries".
It is probably a less effective medium for appreciative criticism or the
expression of joy and admiration for Pound's work. I expect these things can
be taken as read in anyone who has bothered to sign up. Of course, apart
from a few critics of genius such as Pound and Empson most people (including
myself) have difficulty writing about poets or poetry without sounding
desperately solemn.
 
 
>From: Tim Bray <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Ezra Pound discussion list of the University of Maine
>  <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Some Personal Observations on Pound
>Date: Wed, 15 Sep 1999 07:43:45 -0700
>
>At 11:36 PM 9/14/99 -1000, Everett Lee Lady wrote:
> >Those who contribute to this list certainly don't seem to know anything
> >about the lesson of Agassiz and the fish, for instance.
>
>True, in my case.  Care to relate it? -Tim
 
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