Wei, I have just been sitting on the sidelines, happily (for the most part) following the wide-ranging discussions that have followed your arrival on the list. Your contributions are often invigorating, and sometimes frustrating. For me, the frustrations arise from what appears to me to be your lack of passion for the astonishing beauty of the language. You acknowlege in the most matter-of-fact tone that EP wrote beautifully, but you don't in any way seem moved by this beauty... for example, you wrote << of course he used language to produce admirable aesthetic effects. >> This is damning him with the very faintest praise. I believe you when you say you want to discuss the WHOLE epistemological-religious-political-aesthetic world of EP...and I submit to you that that whole world includes, not just the sheer breathtaking beauty, but also the EFFECT that beauty has on (some) readers...start there, not with some flat, almost condescending description of what sounds like a hack academic poet who knows a few tricks. Recognize the power of his gift, enjoy the music, just enjoy the music for a bit, really and truly hear it and take YOUR EXPERIENCE OF THE MUSIC as the starting point for your further thoughts. Best wishes, Jay Anania