Discusses the critical paradigms that have shaped thinking about lyric poetry, dominated by the prose/lyric antithesis. Argues that these antitheses, based on Aristotle's dismissal of versification as the defining feature of poetic discourse, are unnecessary, and that the argumentative, dramatic, expressive, and prosodic motives need not be…

Presents a linguistically-based text-analysis of S. Sassoon's antiwar poem "Lamentations," first analyzing the semantic characteristics, and following with thoughts on the intention of the fictional speaker and of the author, including particularly the ironic language. Some data on the author's life are given and interpreted. (IFS/WGA)

Using Bob Dylan's three somewhat different versions of "It Ain't Me, Babe," the author investigates the variables of Dylan's performances and how they alter the meanings of his songs, and suggests that the more we know about popular song the more we will understand the songs we subsequently encounter. (KC)