Prose is admittedly an art rooted in social intercourse, and a fiction writer is faster to find a common denominator with his cell mates than a poet is.
Interpretation
Prose relies on social connection, making it easier for fiction writers to relate to their audience than poets.
In this quote, Joseph Brodsky emphasizes the artistic nature of prose, suggesting that it thrives on social interactions and connections. He argues that fiction writers tend to establish a rapport with their readers or society more swiftly compared to poets, underscoring the distinct relationship between different literary forms and their audiences.
In practice
This quote can be cited during a literary discussion about the differences between prose and poetry.
Basically, it's hard for me to assess myself, a hardship not only prompted by the immodesty of the enterprise, but because one is not capable of assessing himself, let alone his work. However, if I were to summarize, my main interest is the nature of time. That's what interests me most of all. What time can do to a man.
One always pulls the trigger out of self-interest and quotes history to avoid responsibility or pangs of conscience.
On the whole, infinity is a fairly palpable aspect of this business of publishing, if only because it extends a dead author's existence beyond the limits he envisioned, or provides a living author with a future he cannot measure. In other words, this business deals with the future which we all prefer to regard as unending.
The invention of ethical and political doctrines, which blossomed into our own social sciences, is a product of times when things appeared manageable. The same goes for the criticism of those doctrines, though as a voice from the past, this criticism proved prophetic.
Try not to pay attention to those who will try to make life miserable for you. There will be a lot of those - in the official capacity as well as the self-appointed.
To put it in plain language, Russia is that country where the name of a writer appears not on the cover of his book, but on the door of his prison cell.
The stars fell one by one into his eyes and burnt.
Good writing ... involves the agony of turning profoundly difficult thoughts into lucid form, then forcing them into the tight-fitting uniform of language, making them visible and clear.
music heard so deeply That it is not heard at all, but you are the music While the music lasts.
Failures are inevitable. Unfortunately, in film they live for ever and they're 40 ft wide and 20 ft high.
The artist produces for the liberation of his soul.
I have piles of poetry books in the bathroom, on the stairs, everywhere. The only way to write poetry is to read it.
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