Likes to Read Aloud

Please lets make that ~ he / she ~
as it should be!
We can only hope that if
Warhol had it to do over again,
he would include women too. Sigh . . .

Warhol's witty observation about the purpose of art reminds me of the story about his flower silkscreens, which he shared with fellow artist Elaine Sturtevant. As legend has it, when someone asked Warhol about his "artistic process," he said, "I don't know. Ask Elaine!" Haha!

In turn, Warhol's artsy rejoinder made me wonder: Who was the author -- maybe more than one -- who, when asked about the meaning of a particular poem, simply re-read the poem, without offering any additional explanation or commentary.

My experts tell me that perhaps it is just an apocryphal anecdote, but the author and occasion that comes to mind is Alfred, Lord Tennyson reciting "Maud: A Monodrama" at Buckingham Palace for Queen Victoria and her many guests. I was amused to read the following in Wikipedia, which seems to add credibility to Tennyson's alleged re-reading episode:

"While the poem was Tennyson's own favourite (he was known very willingly to have recited the poem in its entirety on social occasions), it was met with much criticism in contemporary circles."

Unlike Tennyson, I've never been a Poet Laureate, yet I once received a similar critique in the "rate this teacher" category. I no longer recall whether or not this particular student had anything good to say about me under "strengths." However, under "weaknesses," I was awarded with this hilarious accolade, which to this day still makes me laugh: "Likes to read aloud."

Haha! Just like Tennyson.
P.S.
From my friend Sheri:

“But secretly I knew I had been transformed,
moved by the revelation that human beings create art,
that to be an artist was to see what others could not.”

~ Patti Smith ~