*
A quote from Holderlin:
"There is only one real quarrel in the world: which is more important, the whole or the individual part."
Poetry, or the poem?
Process, or product?
In practice, poets do seem to make a choice between the two—I'm hardly the first to note this . . .
I'm sorry, but I don't think this "one real quarrel" can be ended or resolved by proclamation—
Of course you can always assert that your "American [sic] Hybrid" has transcended this argument,
and sell your illusory empty amalgam,
market your scam (or dream) . . . but?
***
As to which option is preferable, surely it depends on the personality of the poet?
"The whole" or "poetry" worked for O'Hara,
while "the individual part" or "the poem" worked for Larkin.
You can't say either of them made the wrong choice.
***
