“There is a great deal, in the writing of poetry, which must be conscious and deliberate.”

Rejecting the idea that poetry is produced entirely through spontaneous inspiration · Essay, Tradition and the Individual Talent

• Art
• Poetry

“The greatness of literature cannot be determined solely by literary standards; though we must remember that whether it is literature or not can be determined only by literary standards.”

Separating aesthetic judgement from broader judgements about a work's ultimate significance · Essay, Religion and Literature

• Art
• Truth

“It is not from rules, or by cold-blooded imitation of style, that we learn to write: we learn by imitation indeed, but by a deeper imitation than is achieved by analysis of style.”

Describing literary influence as absorption rather than mechanical copying · Essay, The Music of Poetry

• Art
• Poetry