David Melnick adopts a chaotic sort of anti-grammar to comment on the lives of the men in Aida, in his poetry book of the same name (1983). His use of language as something outside the normal rules of English usage has a direct, symbolic link to the gay lifestyle, which exists on the outside of a post-Roman, and very Christian cultural grammar. Melnick positions his writing within a frame of Greek mythological figures, presumably for the purpose of establishing a paradigm of acceptance and normalcy, regarding homosexuality in ancient Greek and Roman times.
The abandonment of traditional English grammar in conjunction with the subject matter of homosexuality illustrates the modern, western world’s lack of accommodation and understanding of homosexuality. In other words, Melnick had chosen to take something “outside” the system, and talk about it using a grammar that operates outside the same system. In doing so he says: Homosexuality is outside the system, and this is what we have to work with, so I will use a grammar that fits it, which is one that intrinsically does not operate as a working system, either.
The word “gay” appears many times in Melnick’s poem entitled Men in Aida. Sometimes I take it to mean “homosexual,” sometimes I take it to mean “happy.” There is a lot of sexual language in these two books; some of it homoerotic, some of it not. Because I cannot make any sense of a particular narrative, I have formed the easiest possible thesis for me come up with on general observation of the work. There is nothing that says: “I, Melnick, will discuss homosexuality using a dysfunctional grammar, because homosexuality has not yet found a way to exist in harmony with modern western culture.” The only thing I have that may support such a thesis is the very existence of this non-grammar in conjunction with a possible subject matter of homosexuality.
My support for such a thesis are the following lines from Men in Aida: “You come on us, Danaans, sit thee up, rope your son, a fine ace ass.” Of course, there’s nothing in this line denoting homosexuality, except the comment “fine ace ass,” and even then, only if the speaker is male. In the following line, we can argue that the “pompous sin” of screwing might be a homosexual act: “Ten men, Garcon, nay it away, a leak, a piss Achaians. He screws in pompous sin, a goose he’d aid, or a knocked he.”
With Melnick, it seems we can only take a guess at the meaning of Men in Aida, but luckily, the piece is so long that we can at least get a good feel for the subject matter which includes, but is not limited to: Tea, apes, aces, gayness, and Greek and Roman deities. Indeed, commonly used words are one of the only ways to parse out what is going on with this piece. Melnick is obviously interested in what these words have to offer, yet he is not terribly interested in making any particular message clear. I do think it is an interesting art project -- to tell the story, or part of the story, of a marginalized group of people in a way that prohibits access to the very people who have marginalized the group. The story of homosexuality in modern culture, is obscured, so that those using the grammar of modernity cannot understand what is being said about homosexuality.
The abandonment of traditional English grammar in conjunction with the subject matter of homosexuality illustrates the modern, western world’s lack of accommodation and understanding of homosexuality. In other words, Melnick had chosen to take something “outside” the system, and talk about it using a grammar that operates outside the same system. In doing so he says: Homosexuality is outside the system, and this is what we have to work with, so I will use a grammar that fits it, which is one that intrinsically does not operate as a working system, either.
The word “gay” appears many times in Melnick’s poem entitled Men in Aida. Sometimes I take it to mean “homosexual,” sometimes I take it to mean “happy.” There is a lot of sexual language in these two books; some of it homoerotic, some of it not. Because I cannot make any sense of a particular narrative, I have formed the easiest possible thesis for me come up with on general observation of the work. There is nothing that says: “I, Melnick, will discuss homosexuality using a dysfunctional grammar, because homosexuality has not yet found a way to exist in harmony with modern western culture.” The only thing I have that may support such a thesis is the very existence of this non-grammar in conjunction with a possible subject matter of homosexuality.
My support for such a thesis are the following lines from Men in Aida: “You come on us, Danaans, sit thee up, rope your son, a fine ace ass.” Of course, there’s nothing in this line denoting homosexuality, except the comment “fine ace ass,” and even then, only if the speaker is male. In the following line, we can argue that the “pompous sin” of screwing might be a homosexual act: “Ten men, Garcon, nay it away, a leak, a piss Achaians. He screws in pompous sin, a goose he’d aid, or a knocked he.”
With Melnick, it seems we can only take a guess at the meaning of Men in Aida, but luckily, the piece is so long that we can at least get a good feel for the subject matter which includes, but is not limited to: Tea, apes, aces, gayness, and Greek and Roman deities. Indeed, commonly used words are one of the only ways to parse out what is going on with this piece. Melnick is obviously interested in what these words have to offer, yet he is not terribly interested in making any particular message clear. I do think it is an interesting art project -- to tell the story, or part of the story, of a marginalized group of people in a way that prohibits access to the very people who have marginalized the group. The story of homosexuality in modern culture, is obscured, so that those using the grammar of modernity cannot understand what is being said about homosexuality.