ABSTRACT
First problem Is it possible to say that Poem A (one of Donne's Holy Sonnets, or one of the poems of Jonson or of Shakespeare) is better than Poem B (Collins' Ode to Evening) or vice versa?
If the answer is no in both cases, then any poem is as good as any other. If this is true, then all poetry is worthless; but this obviously is not true, for it is contrary to all our experience.
