Great poetry is always written by somebody straining to go beyond what he can do. — Stephen Spender Copy Share Image
Paul Valery speaks of the 'une ligne donnee' of a poem. One line is given to the poet by God or by… — Stephen Spender Copy Share Image
When you read and understand a poem, comprehending its rich and formal meanings, then you master chaos a little. — Stephen Spender Copy Share Image
The greatest poets are those with memories so great that they extend beyond their strongest experiences to their minutest observations of people… — Stephen Spender Copy Share Image
An English poet writes, I think, just for people who are interested in poetry. An American poet writes, and feels that everyone… — Stephen Spender Copy Share Image
A poet has to adapt himself, more or less consciously,to the demands of his vocation, and hence the peculiarities of poets and… — Stephen Spender Copy Share Image
One of my great surprises when I was in America was about twenty-five years ago in Harvard, hearing Randall Jarrell deliver a… — Stephen Spender Copy Share Image
Although Poets are vain and ambitious, their vanity and ambition are of the purest kind attainable in this world. They are ambitious… — Stephen Spender Copy Share Image
Memory exercised in a particular way is a natural gift of poetic genius. The poet above all else, is a person who… — Stephen Spender Copy Share Image
I think continually of those who were truly great . Who, from the womb, remembered the soul 's history Through corridors of light where… — Stephen Spender Copy Share
Since we are what we are, what shall we be But what we are? We are, we have Six feet and seventy years, to… — Stephen Spender Copy Share
One of my great surprises when I was in America was about twenty-five years ago in Harvard, hearing Randall Jarrell deliver a bitter attack… — Stephen Spender Copy Share
What is precious is never to forget, The delight of the blood drawn from ancient springs, Breaking through rocks in worlds before our earth;… — Stephen Spender Copy Share
If you get to a certain age, all people want to know about you is people you knew. ...An American student once said to… — Stephen Spender Copy Share
Involved in my own entrails and a crust Turning a pitted surface towards a space, I am a world that watches through a sky… — Stephen Spender Copy Share
Although Poets are vain and ambitious, their vanity and ambition are of the purest kind attainable in this world. They are ambitious to be… — Stephen Spender Copy Share
Great poetry is always written by somebody straining to go beyond what he can do. — Stephen Spender Copy Share
My brothers and sister and I were brought up in an atmosphere which I would describe as 'Puritan decadence'. Puritanism names the behaviour which… — Stephen Spender Copy Share
“Him I delight in accepts joy as joy; He is richened by sorrow as a river by its bends” — Stephen Spender Copy Share
I think of those who were truly great. The names of those who in their lives fought for life, Who wore at their hearts… — Stephen Spender Copy Share
