intertext

maybe it's being *cough* of a certain age (both of us) that adds insight? For all that his early poetry in particular is "young man's" coterie writing, ie showing off his knowledge and prowess to all his friends, AND that many of the component parts - even plot lines - are cribbed from Ovid (I could give you chapter and verse...), looking at his portrait makes me think that he knows what he's writing about :)