I would admit that poetry is something more than mere communication and that if that 'something more' could be abstracted from the whole, it might well prove to be that which makes the whole a poem. Louis MacNeice abstractadmitcommunication Change image and share on social
A harrassed and dubious childhood under the hand of a well-meaning but barbarous mother's help from County Armagh led me to think of the North of Ireland as prison and the South as a land of escape. Louis MacNeice armaghbarbarouschildhood Change image and share on social
Dublin was hardly worried by the war; her old preoccupations were still preoccupations. The intelligentsia continued their parties; their mutual malice was as effervescent as ever. Louis MacNeice continuedublineffervescent Change image and share on social
I would have a poet able bodied, fond of talking, a reader of the newspapers, capable of pity and laughter, informed in economics, appreciative of women, involved in personal relationships, actively interested in politics, susceptible to physical impressions. Louis MacNeice activelyappreciativebodied share on social
I am more proud of what distinguishes man from the animals than of what he has in common with them. Louis MacNeice animalcommondistinguish Change image and share on social
Everyone is not able, or inclined, to write poetry in the narrower sense any more than everyone is qualified to take part in a walking race. But just as all of us can and do walk, so all of us can and do use language poetically. Louis MacNeice inclinelanguagenarrow share on social
The teapot takes in water and gives out tea. So the human individual takes in anything you give him and promptly transforms it; he is ready to give you out again his own reactions - first, in thought and emotion, then in voice or action. Louis MacNeice actionemotiongive share on social
It is a retrogression when human beings begin to insist on uniform, on one-mindedness, on conditioning their offspring so that all their reactions are automatic. Louis MacNeice automaticbeginbeing Change image and share on social
Man is an unhappy animal and one that can talk. If he was not unhappy, he would have nothing to talk about. But if he had nothing to talk about, he would be unhappy. Louis MacNeice animalmantalk Change image and share on social
All experiment is made on a basis of tradition; all tradition is the crystallization of experiment. Louis MacNeice basiscrystallizationexperiment Change image and share on social
