---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But the gravest difficulty, and perhaps…"
description: "\"But the gravest difficulty, and perhaps the most important, in poetry meant solely for recitation, is the difficulty of achieving verbal beauty, or rat..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/lascelles-abercrombie-25442_achieve_but-the-gravest-difficulty-and-perhaps-t_663476.png"
---

#  But the gravest difficulty, and perhaps the most…

![“But the gravest difficulty, and perhaps the most important, in poetry meant solely for recitation, is the difficulty of achieving verbal beauty, or rather of making verbal beauty tell.” quote by Lascelles Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/lascelles-abercrombie-25442_achieve_but-the-gravest-difficulty-and-perhaps-t_663476.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/lascelles-abercrombie-25442_achieve_but-the-gravest-difficulty-and-perhaps-t_663476.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/880/lascelles-abercrombie-25442_achieve_but-the-gravest-difficulty-and-perhaps-t_663476.png)

> “But the gravest difficulty, and perhaps the most important, in poetry meant solely for recitation, is the difficulty of achieving verbal beauty, or rather of making verbal beauty tell.”

[Lascelles Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lascelles-abercrombie/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Poetry meant only for recitation struggles to be both beautiful and expressive, making the beauty itself convey meaning.

**In simple terms:** Recited poetry must sound beautiful and also communicate.

Key Takeaway

Seek depth beyond mere sound.

Themes

poetry beauty expression

Mood

reflective thoughtful

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- public readings
- literary criticism
- teaching poetry
- writing workshops

Key Concepts

aesthetic theory communication

Questions to Reflect On

- How can sound and meaning coexist?
- What techniques balance form and content?

A Different Perspective

Beauty alone may not convey meaning without clear intent.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/) [Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty/) [Difficulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficulty/) [Difficulty Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficulty-important-5282122/) [Important](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important/) [Important Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-poetry-2682293/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Recitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recitation/) [Recitation Difficulty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recitation-difficulty-5282120/) [Verbal Beauty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/verbal-beauty-5282121/)

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