July 8th, 2010 / 11:32 am
Random

Literary Doppelgangers

The subtlest smirk closes in on an untold joke; the heavy eyelids weighed down by ponderous thoughts; the broad nose a bridge to the mind; the fragile inverse window of tiny spectacles. William Butler Yeats and David Foster Wallace don’t have much in common, except to say that the latter did perhaps the far opposite of rhyming, his work mired in syntactical and phonetic difficulty. Notice what looks to be a faint scar on WBY’s cheek, and its uncanny reflection in DFW’s deep crease at the same place. But only one is wearing a bandana, so we know who the gangsta is. That it is white, a soft surrender.

36 Comments

  1. KTL
  2. Phil

      “so we know who the gangsta is”

      So we know that Jimmy Chen knows nothing about Yeats.

  3. Jimmy Chen

      can’t decide if i wanna 187 or 5150 your ass

  4. Connie

      “…. don’t have much in common, except to say that the latter did perhaps the far opposite of rhyming, his work mired in syntactical and phonetic difficulty.”

      Huh? So… Yeats (also) did the far opposite of rhyming–whatever that is–?

  5. park

      I’d like to see Jimmy Chen nudified! Oh… wrong post, sorry.

  6. voorface

      more like 419

  7. Jimmy Chen

      yeats rhymed and wallace didn’t, jesus christ

  8. Adam R

      Yeah but aren’t some of his rhyme schemes kinda complicated?

  9. marshall
  10. Steve

      I kept thinking that Ozil looks like a young Peter Lorre crossed with somebody. Now I know who that somebody is. Thank you.

  11. KTL

      Glad I could help

  12. KTL
  13. Phil

      “so we know who the gangsta is”

      So we know that Jimmy Chen knows nothing about Yeats.

  14. Jimmy Chen

      can’t decide if i wanna 187 or 5150 your ass

  15. Connie

      “…. don’t have much in common, except to say that the latter did perhaps the far opposite of rhyming, his work mired in syntactical and phonetic difficulty.”

      Huh? So… Yeats (also) did the far opposite of rhyming–whatever that is–?

  16. park

      I’d like to see Jimmy Chen nudified! Oh… wrong post, sorry.

  17. voorface

      more like 419

  18. Jimmy Chen

      yeats rhymed and wallace didn’t, jesus christ

  19. Adam Robinson

      Yeah but aren’t some of his rhyme schemes kinda complicated?

  20. Guest
  21. Steve

      I kept thinking that Ozil looks like a young Peter Lorre crossed with somebody. Now I know who that somebody is. Thank you.

  22. KTL

      Glad I could help

  23. Dennis

      yeats rhymed and wallace didn’t, jesus christ

      then you should have written that–not: they don’t have anything in common except they don’t have anything in common. which–i guess–is what you wrote. connie is right. plus if you actually think the opposite of rhyming is not rhyming?–well, phil is right. you just think all white people look alike, right? you should stick to pictures, chen.

  24. Sean

      To not have anything in common is a commonality.

  25. Jhon Baker

      I think WB looks more like a young glasses wearing Dan Akroyd

  26. Jimmy Chen
  27. Sean

      DFW never had a girlfriend who wore live hawks on her shoulders.

      He’s no Yeats, no way.

  28. Rich

      if Yeats looks like anyone other than a stoned Steve Martin I will let someone DoppelGong me in public

  29. Dennis

      yeats rhymed and wallace didn’t, jesus christ

      then you should have written that–not: they don’t have anything in common except they don’t have anything in common. which–i guess–is what you wrote. connie is right. plus if you actually think the opposite of rhyming is not rhyming?–well, phil is right. you just think all white people look alike, right? you should stick to pictures, chen.

  30. Sean

      To not have anything in common is a commonality.

  31. Jhon Baker

      I think WB looks more like a young glasses wearing Dan Akroyd

  32. Jimmy Chen
  33. Sean

      DFW never had a girlfriend who wore live hawks on her shoulders.

      He’s no Yeats, no way.

  34. Rich

      if Yeats looks like anyone other than a stoned Steve Martin I will let someone DoppelGong me in public

  35. nick

      I think it’s “not rhyming”

  36. nick

      I think it’s “not rhyming”