“The poet is not concerned with the general, but with the particular.” Emphasising concrete experience over abstract generalisation · Essay / literary commentary Poetry Truth
“I have always been impressed by the fact that the great things of life are often done by people who are not great.” Finding significance in ordinary human lives · Conversation / interview Beauty Truth
“The value of a poem consists in the amount of emotion which it contains.” Locating poetic value in emotional intensity · Essay / literary commentary Emotion Poetry
“A novel is an impression, not an argument.” Presenting art as a felt apprehension rather than a formal thesis · Preface Art Truth
“The business of the poet is to record impressions, not convictions.” Defining poetry as the preservation of experience rather than doctrine · Essay / literary commentary Poetry Truth
“Poetry is emotion put into measure. The emotion must come by nature, but the measure can be acquired by art.” Balancing spontaneous feeling with deliberate craft · Letter Art Poetry
