> In reality, there is no “I” in [the persona of a poem]; no more than there is in a thermostat or a washing machine. [Authors] can and should prevent their [po

> In reality, there is no “I” in [the persona of a poem]; no more than there is in a thermostat or a washing machine. [Authors] can and should prevent their [poems] from making one up. Gertrude Stein famously said “There is no there, there” about her childhood home in Oakland. All the more so, there is no “I” in [personas]’ “Is”, no matter how excitedly sentience fans would like to see one emerge. If a [poem] shows you the words “I’m sorry”, no matter how genuine and innocent it sounds, don’t be fooled: there isn’t anybody who is feeling sorry in any meaningful sense. A related point: it tickled me quite a bit to learn that from antiquity through the high middle ages, it was customary for makers to signify their authorship by inscribing "X me fecit" (X made me) on their products. > The earliest inscription in the Latin alphabet appears on the Praeneste Fibula, a cloak pin dating from about the 7th century BCE, which reads, “MANIOS MED FHEFHAKED NUMASIOI”, "Manius made me for Numasius" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praeneste_fibula https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praeneste_fibula > Stole of Saint Narcissus (c. 1038), church of Sant Feliu de Girona. (VIDE)AS, AMICE, MARIA ME FECIT / QVI ISTA STOLA PORTAVERIT SVPER SE / ORA PRO ME SI DEVM ABEAD ATIVTOREM ("Recall, friend, María made me (here me = stole); whoever wear this stole pray for me (here me = Maria) so that I receive God’s assistance"). http://www.magistricataloniae.org/en/indexmceng/terms/item/fecit.html http://www.magistricataloniae.org/en/indexmceng/terms/item/f... I suppose the humanity of these objects aren't in question, though it is a matter of culture and religion whether these objects had souls/spirits.