Wikipedia:Peer review/The Cantos/archive1

The Cantos

The most complex, and longest, article I've worked on. I've done as much as I can with it and would welcome suggestions for improving. Filiocht 12:31, Feb 21, 2005 (UTC)

Well, I suggest you have a cup of tea or coffee and a sit down, anyway. Charles Matthews 12:56, 21 Feb 2005 (UTC)

It should be noted that Charles started this article, created the structure into which I poured content, and has corrected a number of my errors along the way. I have tea now and am sitting down. Filiocht 13:27, Feb 21, 2005 (UTC)

• I am not knowledgeable about the subject so I might be a good one to help with observations that could help the article be more approachable for people in a similar situation. The intro still requires being fairly familiar with the subject in a few spots. What does "and the early Cantos as finally published date from 1922 onwards." mean? That seems to imply Canto is a thing we should know what it is. Also this could use some copyediting: "It is of a piece with Pound's prose writing". What does that mean? I tried copyediting the formidable sentence to make it easier to read, but I'm not sure I helped. That sentence and some others in the intro, if made simpler to parse, would help make the intro more accessible. I'm not really qualified to comment on the rest of it, but it looks well researched and FAC worthy to me. - Taxman 19:36, Feb 21, 2005 (UTC)
• This article is so complete it should be on the main page rather than here. Wikipedia should feel privileged to have such a detailed and succinct analysis of this important work. Giano 21:30, 21 Feb 2005 (UTC)
• Magnificent, Filiocht, fascinating to read. A real showpiece for Wikipedia. Rather a difficult subject to illustrate, therefore I'm struck by the perspective added by the images, and especially the captions with their quotes and counterpoints. But of course you're aware that it could become a test case for article length on WP:FAC, at 80 kb? Still, only one person objected seriously to the length of History of Russia recently, which was then 66 kb, and it must surely be clear to everybody that subdivision of an article on one literary work would take a lot more violence than of the History of a nation, which does have a number of seams that could be unpicked. And that subdividing *this* article in particular would be wanton destruction. I believe people will see that.

I note it is 121 on Special:Longpages. My own view is that the article should be kept whole, and if that means it cannot be an FA, so be it. It is better to have the best possible article than to meet the FA technical requirements, and comprehensiveness and factual accuracy are the things that really matter, IMHO. Filiocht 11:20, Feb 23, 2005 (UTC)

Trying to figger something constructively critical to say. OK, how about a Wikiquote Cantos page? With some longer quotes than in the captions. With a vulgarly obvious choice like famous bits from the Pisan Cantos?

Copyright problems? Filiocht 11:20, Feb 23, 2005 (UTC)

Fair use? Note especially the weight given to length of quote in relation to the whole work, and how that would work in your favour. If you were to type quotes all day for a week, you probably still wouldn't have one millionth of the whole work. (Whereas if you were six monkeys you might have the whole.) Bishonen | Talk 18:58, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)

There doesn't seem to be a lot about criticism in the article. The section "Controversy" gives a bit the impression that *all* criticism of Pound was one of two things: either condemnation for his politics and antisemitism, or defence against these charges, of the "Yes, but" type. I understand how this would dominate, especially in the U.S., but hasn't there been any other kind of critical engagement with the Cantos? How about Kenner? Any academics writing dissertations today? Bishonen | Talk 23:53, 22 Feb 2005 (UTC)

• Wow, this is one of the most comprehensive wikipedia articles I've seen. I'm trying to figure out something constructive to say too, how about a table of contents with links to different chapters of the article?Dinopup 05:20, 23 Feb 2005 (UTC)
  • Thanks to one and all for the improvements. The hope is that between this and List of cultural references in The Cantos (as it grows), Wikipedia will have the best available online introduction to this important literary monument. Filiocht 08:52, Feb 23, 2005 (UTC)
• A fascinating article, which merits its length. I have rearranged the first paragraph to ease comprehension (as I see it). I feel rather proud to have been able to contribute to something so remarkable. --Theo (Talk) 23:59, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)

• What does "It is of a piece with Pound's prose writing, in that his major themes on economics, governance and culture are integral to its content." mean? - Ta bu shi da yu 03:13, 26 Feb 2005 (UTC)
  • As you are the second person to ask this, of a piece with is, for this writer at least, a perfectly ordinary English phrase meaning (to quote the American Heritage dictionary) Belonging to the same class or kind; in other words, his poetry and prose are continuations of each other, reading one will help make sense of each other, because the same themes and concerns run accros both. Filiocht 08:38, Feb 28, 2005 (UTC)
• I just want to say that I am deeply impressed. This is excellent, wonderful, magnificent, and fascinating. — mark ✎ 12:50, 27 Feb 2005 (UTC)
• I've now posted this article on WP:FAC. Filiocht 11:19, Feb 28, 2005 (UTC)