I am alive to a usual objection to what is clearly part of…
““I am alive to a usual objection to what is clearly part of my programme for the metier of poetry. The objection is that the doctrine requires a ridiculous amount of erudition (pedantry), a claim which can be rejected by appeal to the lives of poets in any pantheon. It will even be affirmed that much learning deadens or perverts poetic sensibility. While, however, we persist in believing that a poet ought to know as much as will not encroach upon his necessary receptivity and necessary laziness, it is not desirable to confine knowledge to whatever can be put into a useful shape for examinations, drawing rooms, or the still more pretentious modes of publicity. Some can absorb knowledge, the more tardy must sweat for it. Shakespeare acquired more essential history from Plutarch than most men could from the whole British Museum. What is to be insisted upon is that the poet must develop this consciousness throughout his career. What happens is a continual surrender of himself as he is at the moment to something which is more valuable. The progress of an artist is a continual self-sacrifice, a continual extinction of personality.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
He argues that poets must balance knowledge with receptivity, allowing continual self‑sacrifice and growth.
In simple terms: Poets need knowledge but must stay receptive and humble.
Key Takeaway
Embrace learning, stay open, sacrifice ego.
Themes
learning
humility
artistic growth
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- creative writing
- academic study
- personal artistic development
Key Concepts
Poetic tradition
self‑sacrifice
Questions to Reflect On
- How much knowledge is enough for a poet?
- When does learning hinder creativity?
A Different Perspective
Excessive erudition can stifle originality.