Poets, on the face of it, have either got to be easier or to write their own notes; readers have either got to take more trouble over reading or cease to regard notes as pretentious and a sign of bad poetry
All those large dreams by which men long live well Are magic-lanterned on the smoke of hell. - William Empson
All those large dreams by which men long live well Are magic-lanterned on the smoke of hell.
- William Empson
The machinations of ambiguity are among the very roots of poetry. - William Empson
The machinations of ambiguity are among the very roots of poetry.
Poetry contains nothing haphazard. - William Empson
Poetry contains nothing haphazard.
Proust has listed a great many reasons why it is impossible to be happy, but, in the course of being happy, one finds it difficult to remember them. - William Empson
Proust has listed a great many reasons why it is impossible to be happy, but, in the course of being happy, one finds it difficult to remember them.
The difficult part of good temper consists in forbearance, and accommodation to the ill-humors of others. - William Empson
The difficult part of good temper consists in forbearance, and accommodation to the ill-humors of others.
Law makes long spokes of the short stakes of men. - William Empson
Law makes long spokes of the short stakes of men.
To produce pure proletarian art the artist must be at one with the worker; this is impossible, not for political reasons, but because the artist neve… - William Empson
To produce pure proletarian art the artist must be at one with the worker; this is impossible, not for political reasons, but because the artist neve…
Life involves maintaining oneself between contradictions that can't be solved by analysis. - William Empson
Life involves maintaining oneself between contradictions that can't be solved by analysis.
The heart of standing is that you cannot fly. - William Empson
The heart of standing is that you cannot fly.
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