`` The Bees, The Flowers, Jesus, Ancient Tigers, Poseidon,...

Poetic Philosophy In Sarah Kaplan’s article â€Å"A white guy named Michael couldn’t get his poem published. Then he became Yi-Fen Chou.† it explains the controversy revolving around the nomination for the 2015 edition of Best American Poetry. The poet, Michael Derrick Hudson, applied the pen name, Yi-Fen Chou, to his nominated poem â€Å"The Bees, the Flowers, Jesus, Ancient Tigers, Poseidon, Adam and Eve† after numerous failed attempts of nomination under his own name. Majority of the controversy’s energy was aimed at the fraudulence and racist tone of Hudson’s pen name; however some of this energy leaked onto, Sherman Alexie, the editor that added this poem to the anthology. Further down the article it provides the defensive statements of both Hudson and Alexie toward the outrage. With Hudson’s statement we learn that there was no intent for the pseudonym to bear a racist tone; although he clearly succumbed to the fact that the intentional fraudulen ce was for his own benefit. And, for Alexie, we find out that there was no ill intent when his choice arrived; other than his interest of the mixture of western ideals with an â€Å"Asian† poet, and also for his simple love for the poem. For ethical reasons we may hold Hudson accountable for his intent to wield a lie for his own benefit and we could also hold Alexie accountable for not withdrawing the poem after knowledge of the fraudulence. According to Hobbes every humane individual acts in their own self-interest, which is guided by