Spiros Doikas (asker) Oct 19, 2009:

Thanks Annett Very lucid literary commentary; my compliments.

Annett Kottek (X) Oct 19, 2009:

An interpretation.... When the love interest finds out that her admirer loves her in a totally unselfishly way (i.e. he is found to be ‘Selfish this wrong way round’), she’ll ditch (‘wholly rebuff’) the poor bleeder. I guess it’s a variation of the theme why (some) women don’t fall in love with nice guys but with men who treat them badly. Only if you know how to look after yourself, can you also look after your lover/family?

The poem argues that a lover has to be selfish to some degree; else he would be completely self-denying (‘So that you come off worst’), which is shown as a kind of weakness. Calling the poor ‘bleeder’ ‘Selfish this wrong way round’ instead of unselfish, which is what is actually meant by that phrase, makes the point that there is also selfishness in such selflessness. Unselfish love might be morally superior, but it’s also life-denying. (N.B. The poem does not say that a lover should be completely selfish either.)

Hope it helps some way.

kathryn davies Oct 19, 2009:

Rejected means rebuffed. Whooly rebuffed is not a particularly common collocation, you could also say completely rebuffed, for example. Anything else is just interpretation. I think "selfish this wrong way round" might refer to an unwillingness to love at all, either unselfishly or overdemanding, to even try, and it could be this idea that is rebuffed, or the man himself (although how, if he doesn't try?!), or both, it's a conundrum, who knows?! It's very difficult to translate - you could either translate literally, or choose an interpretation and just go for it. Good luck!

Spiros Doikas (asker) Oct 19, 2009:

"Wholly" rebuffed... Does this mean in the sense that he is rejected by a woman or in the sense that his ideas/stance are/is repudiated? Or even, proven wrong?<br><br>For example, see how it is used on the web<br><br>http://www.google.gr/search?rlz=1C1CHMC_elGR291GR304&sourcei... cases like these:<br>The anti-hunters' estimates were wholly rebuffed. <br>http://www.conservationforce.org/resources/resourcescourthea... seems to mean "proven wrong" and not rejected. <br><br>Also "wholly rebuffed" appears to be quiet a strong, semi-idiomatic collocate?<br>Please correct me if I am wrong.

Spiros Doikas (asker) Oct 19, 2009:

See also http://www.proz.com/kudoz/3506815