Philosophy is antipoetic. Philosophize about mankind and you brush aside individual uniqueness, which a poet cannot do without self-damage. Unless, for a start, he has a strong personal rhythm to vary his metrics, he is nothing. Poets mistrust philosophy. They know that once the heads are counted, each owner of a head loses his personal identify and becomes a number in some government scheme: if not as a slave or serf, at least as a party to the device of majority voting, which smothers personal views. β¨ Robert Graves, Patrick J. Quinn (2000). Some speculations on literature, history, and religion, Carcanet Press Ltd.
More Author Quotes
- I was thinking, So, Iβm Emperor, am I? What nonsense! But at least I'll be able to make people read my books now. β¨ Robert Graves, Richard Francis (2000). I, Claudius ; and, Claudius the god, Carcane β¦ βΆ
- Every English poet should master the rules of grammar before he attempts to bend or break them. β¨ Lecture at Oxford. Time, December 15, 1961.
- Love without hope, as when the young bird-catcher Swept off his tall hat to the Squire's own daughter, So let the imprisoned larks escape and fly Singing about her head, as she rode by. β¨ Robert Grav β¦ βΆ
- If I were a girl, I'd despair. The supply of good women far exceeds that of the men who deserve them. β¨ Robert Graves, Frank L. Kersnowski (1989). Conversations with Robert Graves, p.112, Univ. Press β¦ βΆ
- No honest theologian therefore can deny that his acceptance of Jesus as Christ logically binds every Christian to a belief in reincarnation - in Elias case (who was later John the Baptist) at least.
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