Taking Mad Jack as the paradigm of the Romantic hero, Oakley launches into a sabre-rattling, crotch-clutching ballad, only to run out of creative steam when his gallant is spurned by Sarah, MJ’s first great amour, so I have supplied a makeshift conclusion. Since more biographical data is not lacking, what might account for this failure of inspiration? Simple indolence? A lack of insight into, or experience of, the romantic-heroic? The technical challenge of this verse form? A writing hand exhausted by other activities? (DJ).
Alright, I know. It should have been finished years ago. Thank-you for your conclusion, which has been reworked again to extend the Sarah’s Marxist rejoinder, and bring out the poignancy of the ending a little more. I’m rather pleased with the result. I hope that all three of our readers like it too (CH).