Now I shall speak of evil as none has
Spoken before. I loathe such things as jazz;

Is this not intentionally humorous?

Jamie McEwan

Well, yes, obviously. But there can be humour in bad taste, and I think that this is. I enjoy the shaving and soaping and, in general, the way "Different themes are ludicrously mingled to great effect", as Jansy puts it, and in general I love Nabokov's humour. But I don't think this comes off, let alone constitutes poetry superior to "Four Quartets" as some would have it.

 

Anthony Stadlen