The anonysonnet discussions on Erato continue, this time with fur-flying about initial capitals in a sonnet.
I am an enjambing fool, so I tend away from initial caps. When I read poetry aloud, I read to the sense of the sentence rather than the line, which is a defensible but controversial position. In other words, it is evidence of poet cooties!
In any case, I generally notice initial caps. In the case of this sonnet by Steve Schroeder, I didn’t notice them. I was trying to read the sonnet as a finalized work rather than a workshoppy piece, which means taking it as is instead of suggesting change. This is one of the problems I have with workshops in general, that they are more like fault-finding missions than general appraisals, but I digress.
Initial caps: Love ’em? Hate ’em? Love to berate ’em?
Well, I’ve probably just incensed a number of them. Especially some of the more self-important ones. Heh.
My oh my…
A passionate debate over intitial caps. Humourous, in a depressing sort of way. Kind of like listening to the President speak.
For my own part, I dislike initial caps because it smacks of copying dead language – like using thees and thous in a sonnet.
I’ve used initial caps myself, though. Especially in parodies.
All I can say is: “Poor Steve.”
I, too, tend to be skeptical of workshops for the same reason… 🙂
Thanks for highlighting the discussion – what an interesting read!
My take? If the use of caps is distracting (such as with enjambment) then the needs of the poem, not the poet, should rule.