defending

Tomorrow I'm defending the proposal for my masters thesis, AKA the riddle project.

I'm a bit nervous mainly because I've never done one of these proposal defenses before. And since writing the proposal I've focused the project a bit more. So what I wrote on paper might not necessarily completely reflect what I feel now (But is that ever the case?)

Patrick J. Murphy released a new book called Unriddling the Exeter Book Riddles. It is probably the most important book on the riddles since Williamson's 1977 Feast of Creatures (And the blurb on the back says something to this effect).

Most critics define the riddle as composed of a question and solution, (or metaphorical vehicle and text-absent tenor in the word's of Don Paterson). Indeed, this definition works well for most riddles. But many riddles contain an additional component that Murphy defines as the metaphorical focus. It's an underlying metaphorical framework that allows the themes of the poem to operate. In some riddles, for example, there's an underlining allusion to Adam and Eve's exile from the garden of Eden. In others, there's allusions to Samson's lion. The sex riddles most obviously demonstrate the metaphorical focus, and some critics mistake the metaphorical double entendre for an additional solution. No riddle has two solutions, but the metaphorical backdrop of the poem helps to highlight the (often literal) solution.

I find Murphy's ideas important because they help to affirm the riddle as more than just a question and solution. With this idea of metaphorical focus, the literary riddle does not end when the reader guesses the solution. It offers further meaning, I think.

In my own riddles, I was aware of themes of desire, materiality, spiritual transcendence, etc. since writing the first batch of riddles. But now I want to experiment with consciously creating a metaphorical focus in my riddles. I've even tried writing my own Adam/Eve riddle (with mixed success).

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In other news, I've been putting together batches of poems to send out to journals. I got a somewhat positive rejection from one journal so I want to send them more stuff and hopefully they will like it! I still haven't heard back from 3 or 4 journals from stuff I sent out this past spring. Now I'm wondering how long I should wait before sending to the journal that previously published my work. On the one hand, if they published me once it suggests they may be receptive to these newer poems. On the other hand, if they rejected my newer submission I would probably be more upset than if another journal rejected me. I feel kind of silly submitting to them again when I haven't been published anywhere else yet. Maybe I should wait until I get published somewhere else so it doesn't look like I've been sitting around doing nothing for a year. I want to have something to show for myself.

Yes, I've thought about this way too much and it probably doesn't matter in any case. But I don't want to jinx it!!!