Picking and Choosing
Literature is a phase of life: ifone is afraid of it, the situation is irremediable; ifone approaches it familiarly,what one says of it is worthless. Words are constructivewhen they are true; the opaque allusion—the simulated flight
upward—accomplishes nothing. Why cloud the factthat Shaw is selfconscious in the field of sentiment but isotherwise re-warding? that James is all that has beensaid of him but is not profound? It is not Hardythe distinguished novelist and Hardy the poet, but one man
“interpreting life through the medium of theemotions.” If he must give an opinion, it is permissible that thecritic should know what he likes. GordonCraig with his “this is I” and “this is mine,” with his threewise men, his “sad French greens” and his Chinese cherries—GordonCraig, so
inclinational and unashamed—has carriedthe precept of being a good critic, to the last extreme. And Burkeis apsychologist—of acute, raccoon-like curiosity. Summa diligentia;to the humbug, whose name is so amusing—very young and ve-
that you have a badger—remember Xenophon;only the most rudimentary sort of behaviour is necessaryto put us on the scent; a “right goodsalvo of barks,” a few “strong wrinkles” puckering theskin between the ears, are all we ask.
Words in this poem
- allusion n.
- A figurative or symbolical reference. [L. allusio, fr. alludere to allude: cf. F. allusion.]
- shaw n.
- A thicket; a small wood or grove. [Obs. or Prov.Eng. & Scot.] [OE. schawe, scha, thicket, grove, AS. scaga; akin to Dan. skov, Sw. skog, Icel. sk.]
- novelist n.
- An innovator; an asserter of novelty. Cudworth.
- permissible a.
- That may be permitted; allowable; admissible.
- psychologist n.
- One who is versed in, devoted to, psychology. [Cf. F. psychologiste.]
- curiosity n.
- The state or quality or being curious; nicety; accuracy; exactness; elaboration. [OE. curiouste, curiosite, OF. curioseté, curiosité, F. curiosit, fr. L. curiositas, fr. curiosus. See Currious, and cf. Curio.]
- salvo n.
- An exception; a reservation; an excuse. [L. salvo jure, literally, the right being reserved. See Safe.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Picking and Choosing is in the public domain. This text is taken from Poems, Project Gutenberg ebook #62833; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Marianne Moore, Picking and Choosing, in Poems (1921), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #62833, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/moore-poems/picking-and-choosing.html, id L02631.
Form and metre
Picking and Choosing is 28 lines in 5 stanzas. 76% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 12.0 syllables. 8 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 75% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AA--- ifA · ifA · familiarly · constructive · flight
- 3 AABAB- theA · theA · gordonB · threeA · gordonB · so
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| Literature is a phase of life: if | 10 | /˘˘˘······ |
| one is afraid of it, the situation is irremediable; if | 19 | ··˘/····˘/˘··˘/˘˘˘· |
| one approaches it familiarly, | 9 | ·˘/˘·/˘˘˘ |
| what one says of it is worthless. Words are constructive | 13 | ······/˘··˘/˘ |
| when they are true; the opaque allusion—the simulated flight | 16 | ·····˘/˘/˘·/˘·˘· |
| upward—accomplishes nothing. Why cloud the fact | 12 | /˘˘/˘˘/˘···· |
| that Shaw is selfconscious in the field of sentiment but is | 15 | ··········/˘˘·· |
| otherwise re- | 4 | /˘·· |
| warding? that James is all that has been | 9 | /˘······· |
| said of him but is not profound? It is not Hardy | 13 | ······˘/···/˘ |
| the distinguished novelist and Hardy the poet, but one man | 16 | ·˘/˘/˘˘·/˘·/˘··· |
| “interpreting life through the medium of the | 12 | /˘·˘···/˘˘·· |
| emotions.” If he must give an opinion, it is permissible that the | 19 | ˘/˘·····˘/˘··˘/˘˘·· |
| critic should know what he likes. Gordon | 9 | /˘·····/˘ |
| Craig with his “this is I” and “this is mine,” with his three | 13 | ············· |
| wise men, his “sad French greens” and his Chinese cherries—Gordon | 14 | ········˘//˘/˘ |
| Craig, so | 2 | ·· |
| inclinational and unashamed—has carried | 12 | ·······˘/·/˘ |
| the precept of being a good critic, to the last extreme. And Burke | 17 | ·/··/˘··/˘···˘/·· |
| is a | 2 | ·· |
| psychologist—of acute, raccoon- | 9 | ˘/˘˘·˘/˘/ |
| like curiosity. Summa diligentia; | 12 | ··˘/˘˘/˘···· |
| to the humbug, whose name is so amusing—very young and ve- | 16 | ··/·····˘/˘/˘··· |
| that you have a badger—remember Xenophon; | 12 | ····/˘˘/˘/˘˘ |
| only the most rudimentary sort of behaviour is necessary | 19 | /˘···˘/˘˘··˘/˘·/˘·˘ |
| to put us on the scent; a “right good | 9 | ········· |
| salvo of barks,” a few “strong wrinkles” puckering the | 13 | /˘·····/˘/˘˘· |
| skin between the ears, are all we ask. | 9 | ········· |
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