Cultural clarifications/Lit crit

[lupinesque]

Boggles wrote:

>As 
> far as I could tell, the main argument between the two cultures 
> wasn't so much the difference in philosophy, as it was that each 
side 
> seemed convinced that the other side was getting laid more, although 
> no one put it quite that bluntly.

ROTFL!
 
> I was merely confused that people thought the two styles were 
> incompatible, as I commonly merged the two in a single project.  

So, inquiring minds want to know:  does this double your pleasure?  
(note plentiful pop culture references)

Saintbacchus wrote:

> >I somehow can't see an author saying to
> >himself, "Now let's see, I need to develop the religious
> >allegory without diminishing the abandonment theme...."

People might not do it exactly like that (I wouldn't know about 
Milton), but speaking only for myself as an artist, not a writer, I do 
think about the different themes and images and metaphors that are at 
play, and say things to myself like "but if I change that from green 
to blue I'll lose the implication of spring growth," to give a 
simplistic example.  Some of it is much more gut-level, but some is 
definitely a matter of thinking hard about the implications of an 
image, just as I would if I were writing about the piece for an art 
history class.  Chalk me up as one of those who loved English because 
I got more out of the literature as a result of it, even if the 
theories did occasionally overstretch.

Amy