William Empson Professions : Literary critic Born : September 27, 1906 Died : April 15, 1984 Browse All Authors Top 24 quotes by William Empson This world is good enough for me, if only I can be good enough for it. William Empson good-enough be-good world Life involves maintaining oneself between contradictions that can't be solved by analysis. William Empson maintaining contradiction analysis The central function of imaginative literature is to make you realize that other people act on moral convictions different from your own. William Empson different literature people The machinations of ambiguity are among the very roots of poetry. William Empson poetry roots art 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 impossible reason-why remember The difficult part of good temper consists in forbearance, and accommodation to the ill-humors of others. William Empson forbearance accommodations difficult Twixt devil and deep sea, man hacks his caves; Birth, death; one, many; what is true, and seems; Earth's vast hot iron, cold space's empty waves. William Empson iron sea men Shall I make it clear, boys, for all to apprehend, Those that will not hear, boys, waiting for the end, Knowing it is near, boys, trying to pretend, Sitting in cold fear, boys, waiting for the end? William Empson knowing waiting boys All those large dreams by which men long live well Are magic-lanterned on the smoke of hell. William Empson dream men long The heart of standing is that you cannot fly. William Empson standing heart 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 William Empson reading faces writing Poetry contains nothing haphazard. William Empson haphazard I think many people (like myself) prefer to read poetry mixed with prose; William Empson reading bridges thinking I'm afraid I take ... this rather clinical view of love: it's saving you from madness. I'm not so enthusiastic as other poets have been. William Empson poetry literature views Slowly the poison the whole blood stream fills. It is not the effort nor the failure tires. The waste remains, the waste remains and kills. William Empson effort poison blood Buddhists and Christians contrive to agree about death Making death their ideal basis for different ideals. The Communists however disapprove of death Except when practical. William Empson buddhist different christian Waiting for the end, boys, waiting for the end. William Empson waiting boys two 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 never is at one with any public. William Empson political impossible art Law makes long spokes of the short stakes of men. William Empson law men long It seems unpleasantly refined to put things off till someone knows. William Empson refined seems knows Similar Authors Bliss Perry literary-critic Irving Howe literary-critic Diana Trilling literary-critic Daphne Merkin literary-critic Henry Louis Gates literary-critic Harold Bloom literary-critic All Authors
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