It is commonly asserted and accepted that Paradise Lost is among the two or three greatest English poems; it may justly be taken as the type of supreme poetic achievement in our literature. John Drinkwater acceptachievementassert Change image and share on social
There can be no proof that Blake's lyric is composed of the best words in the best order; only a conviction, accepted by our knowledge and judgment, that it is so. John Drinkwater acceptblakecompose Change image and share on social
We recognise in the finished art, which is the result of these conditions, the best words in the best order - poetry; and to put this essential poetry into different classes is impossible. John Drinkwater artclasscondition Change image and share on social
When the poet makes his perfect selection of a word, he is endowing the word with life. John Drinkwater endowlifemake Change image and share on social
To know anything of a poet but his poetry is, so far as the poetry is concerned, to know something that may be entertaining, even delightful, but is certainly inessential. John Drinkwater concerndelightfulentertain Change image and share on social
Any long work in which poetry is persistent, be it epic or drama or narrative, is really a succession of separate poetic experiences governed into a related whole by an energy distinct from that which evoked them. John Drinkwater distinctdramaenergy share on social
To take an analogy: if we say that a democratic government is the best kind of government, we mean that it most completely fulfills the highest function of a government - the realisation of the will of the people. John Drinkwater analogycompletelydemocratic share on social
If it is an imperfect word, no external circumstance can heighten its value as poetry. John Drinkwater circumstanceexternalheighten Change image and share on social
Poe's saying that a long poem is a sequence of short ones is perfectly just. John Drinkwater longperfectlypoe Change image and share on social
The musician - if he be a good one - finds his own perception prompted by the poet's perception, and he translates the expression of that perception from the terms of poetry into the terms of music. John Drinkwater expressionfindgood Change image and share on social
