Literature, art and criticism

I've long maintained that literary criticism has special difficulties because the medium of the criticism is the same as the medium of the art being discussed, i.e. language. Art critics don't paint their criticism; music critics don't play their criticism on a musical instrument; but literary critics WRITE their criticism. This is why Norman O. Brown wrote, "The proper response to poetry is not criticism but poetry." If you're stuck with the same medium, at least use it artistically.

Imagine if music critics had to compose music as their commentary on a work! Imagine if art critics had to paint a canvas! Yet critics of literature put words on paper, just like the artist.

I'm reminded of Brecht's brilliant performance before the House UnAmerican Activities Committee. They would read him, in English, one of his political poems and ask if he'd written it. Oh, no, he would respond. I wrote THIS, and he'd recite a GERMAN poem.