Clarity—from the Proverbs of Tharmas Erthona

[shemthepenman]

Not so apropos analogies aside, there are two starting places:

1. If the poem is unclear it is the readers fault.
2. If the poem is unclear it is the writer's fault.

The first denies responsibility for the competency of the work.
The second accepts responsibility for the competency of the work.

Certainly if ten people read it and find it clear, and only the eleventh one does not, that person's opinion can be discounted(or so one would think). However, if it is a 2 - 2 split between four people, then discounting the two negative ones becomes more problematic. Taking into account that in the real world if you were to ask someone to read one of your poems. Chances are, no matter how unenlightening the poem is for them they will praise it to some extent so as not to hurt your feelings. It is the rare person who feels competent enough and committed enough to weather your disapproval (or expected disapproval) by giving you a negative review. So in the real world, no matter who you are, I would generally expect a 99% approval rating. In the PigPen that percentage drops to about 50%, unless you are unlucky enough to get myself, Leanne, milo and Tom as there will rarely be pussyfooting from those four. The point is that a negative response has to overcome many hurdles in order to make it to the writers ear, therefore a negative response should be weighed heavier than the more likely positive response.
What does this have to do with clarity? Where else will one learn of it, except from ones readers and if one has a misapprehension of the readers, one cannot get an accurate response in terms of clarity.

Dale

you should seriously be a politician, Dale. You say a lot, but never really answer the question. Hats off to that.

But, it isn't 'if the poem is unclear it is the readers fault' or the opposite, the fact is it can quite clearly be both. Your proverb gives the false message that it is always the writers fault. And, furthermore, a proverb saying the opposite could just as well be the case. If it is the intention of your 'proverb' to convey the meaning 'write clearly, make sure you write clearly, double check that' then it fails, on so many levels. Is something clear enough for me to understand clear? Is something that doesn't convey meaning to me written in an unclear way? Possibly, but not necessarily or universely.

In terms of clarity, and writing clearly to convey meaning, it is silly, because being clear seems to hop over the becoming clear of possibility. I could write something unclear (being) but will become clear (becoming). Your proverb is just a bit shit, is all.