For Credit: Reasoned Disagreement or Ad Hominem Attack?

In the course of lively discussion today of Montagu's poem, we never quite got to thoroughly air the larger question of how Montagu responds to Swift.

Is this verse conversation largely a matter of Swift writing a nasty poem about women, which annoys Montagu, who writes an nasty attack on Swift in response? Or is there a substantive issue here about which they disagree?

Often, the rhetorical set-up, "It is just X going on here--or is it really Y?" is meant to elicit the answer "Oh, well obviously Y, it couldn't possibly be just X." However, I'd encourage you to consider seriously the possibility that it is just X. And whichever way you come down, cite some text to support your response.

Deadline: Wednesday (2/4), noon.