Done Quote by May Sarton
“One could go on revising a prose page forever whereas there is a point in a poem when one knows it is done forever.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Art of Revision, 1975
A poem reaches a point of completeness that prose never does; endless revision is unnecessary once the work feels finished.
In simple terms: Poetry ends when it feels complete; prose can be endlessly revised.
Key Takeaway
Recognize when a piece is finished and move on.
Themes
art
creativity
completion
writing process
perfectionism
Mood
thoughtful
determined
hopeful
Type
inspirational
philosophical
When to use this quote
- drafting a poem
- editing a novel
- finishing a manuscript
- creative burnout
Key Concepts
Satisfaction
finality
creative closure
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you know when a piece is truly finished?
- What signs indicate creative completion?
A Different Perspective
Perfectionism can hinder progress; some works benefit from further refinement.
![“I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests with ZERO-G [a charter-flight service in Arlington, Va., that uses modified Boeing 727s to simulate weightlessness], which went great.” quote by Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/aa1/richard-branson-256_adventure_i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-repl_903.jpg)
