Listener Crossword No. 4549 From Where I'm Standing By Emu

[perseverer]

I'm not finding a thread, or having much success with the search box either.

From having filled the grid, it has taken me hours to figure out how to actually interpret it, but I have at last got the views and understood why the three extra letters.
Another cleverly constructed puzzle, thanks to Emu.

[Liathach]

I have made a model and it works. This also resolves the issue of the extra letters.

A very clever puzzle.

[Hagen]

Search has been kaput for 24 hours now. Come on Answerbank you can do better than this.

I'm guessing that's not the only reason it's taken so long for a thread to appear. After a relatively simple grid fill, held up only on 17 across, I have spent about 7 hours trying to make sense of the revealed instructions and got nowhere. I give up. A grid fill to grid staring/fruitless Internet search ratio of 1 to 7 is not my idea of a fun puzzle. Perhaps my brain's been dulled by fears about Brexit and I will kick myself when I see the solution or hints elsewhere become available, and no doubt the construction is very clever, but I really think the solver deserves more help than we have been given.

[Hagen]

Unable to let this go, I took another look this morning and finally got it (with the help of a confirmatory hint, I confess). Yes, very clever, but far too much grid-staring needed in my view. Sorry Emu.

[Philoctetes]

After the requisite long hours spent trying to find a (relatively obscure) poem, I can just about carry out the final step. However, I am severely handicapped in this by a complete inability to visualise (Aphantasia, it's called), so my end result may be completely haphazard

[olichant]

I have really mixed feelings about this one. I wanted to love it - I think the theme is great, and very aptly implemented; I love the poem; and (as it happens) I’ve been a fan of the structure for a long time. But I’m with Hagen that more information would have been useful. The structure was not self-evident, and I spent a lot of time going down a lot of plausible dead ends. Maybe it’s me, but I didn’t find the messages very clear at all - at least, they were capable of bearing a range of different meanings. Maybe that was meant.

But looking back it, I still love the theme, and it is a really nice idea. Thanks, Emu.

[olichant]

On reflection, I may have made life hard for myself by reading too much into the asymmetrical grid. I have only myself to blame for that.

[Scorpius]

I rather agree with Hagen and Olichant. There was a lot of guesswork involved in deciding which words were extra and then what they all meant exactly.

I don't really see how this puzzle is solvable without the internet, yet Listener guidelines still require puzzles to be solvable without it. Since the title and poet are incomplete, a short extract from a poem that is not in ODQ (where the index of keywords would normally help) needs a search engine to reveal the essential information. There are several other points of view, and the letters could go in any direction, so it's hard to see how scrutiny of the grid or the structure would reveal things. I found two other poets that I thought might be relevant before I eventually found the four-word extract.

[emcee]

Finally managed to get on after AB has been really S L O W for me for a week or so. Seems to be OK now.

I thought the puzzle was fair to the solver. Even though the work is (at best) unfamiliar, the second view had to be completed in order to identify the poet -- hence, presumably, the reason why highlighting the four words was not required.

I do agree with the comments that, without the internet, it would have been a work difficult to find based on just four words!

I liked the puzzle and the structure -- thanks, Emu.

[Cruncher]

Actually thought this was fair although spent more time pondering the instruction in my head than grid-staring. But, like others, I am rather daunted by the final step even though I know exactly what I need to find. Hoping that some kind soul has posted a helpful template somewhere on the Internet...

[Cruncher]

Splendid puzzle

[PhilipW]

I really enjoyed this puzzle though admittedly I love the grid-stare stage of puzzles and can see it may not be everyone's cup of tea. Thanks Emu.