Class Quote by Matthew Arnold
“Indeed there can be no more useful help for discovering what poetry belongs to the class of the truly excellent, and can therefore do us most good, than to have always in one's mind lines and expressions of the great masters, and to apply them as a touchstone to other poetry.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Study of Poetry", 1882
Studying great poets and keeping their lines in mind serves as a benchmark to evaluate and improve one's own poetry.
In simple terms: Use masters as a standard to judge your poems.
Key Takeaway
Read and compare to great poets regularly.
Themes
poetry
learning
benchmarking
self‑improvement
Mood
analytical
inspirational
Type
critical
educational
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- personal study
- literary analysis
Key Concepts
literary criticism
creative practice
excellence
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance influence with innovation?
- What personal voice emerges from this practice?
A Different Perspective
Over‑reliance on past masters may stifle originality.
![“I'll take a [Pavel] Chekhov comparison any day! He's of course one of the great masters at the short story form, and has helped define traditional conflict as we understand it.” quote by Alexander Weinstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/312/alexander-weinstein-17341_chekhov_i-ll-take-a-pavel-chekhov-comparison-any_1623170.jpg)
![“Not only did she [Marilyn Monroe] master her own image, create it and ultimately control it, she was the subject of many of the great masters of photography of the 20th century.” quote by Gail Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a67/gail-levin-59810_20th-century_not-only-did-she-marilyn-monroe-master-h_1529801.jpg)
