The common idea that success spoils people by making them vain, egotistic and self-complacent is erroneous; on the contrary it makes them, for the most part, humble, tolerant and kind.
W. Somerset MaughamRead
The crown of literature is poetry. It is its end and aim. It is the sublimest activity of the human mind. It is the achievement of beauty and delicacy. The writer of prose can only step aside when the poet passes.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Poetry is the highest form of literature, representing the pinnacle of human creative expression.
This quote emphasizes the importance and superiority of poetry within the literary world, suggesting that it embodies the most profound and refined aspects of human thought and creativity. Maugham argues that while prose has its place, poetry captures beauty and delicacy in a way that prose cannot, highlighting the uniqueness of poetic expression in its ability to convey deep emotions and insights.
Themes
PoetryLiteratureArtBeautyCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech addressing aspiring writers, you may quote Maugham to inspire them to appreciate the art of poetry.
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There in the mist, enormous, majestic, silent and terrible, stood the Great Wall of China. Solitarily, with the indifference of nature herself, it crept up the mountain side and slipped down to the depth of the valley.
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I shy away from the word 'creation.' In the ordinary, social meaning of the word - well, it's very nice, but fundamentally, I don't believe in the creative function of the artist. He's a man like any other.
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