--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The commonplace needs no defence,Dullness…" description: "\"The commonplace needs no defence,Dullness is in the critic's eyes,Without a licence life evolvesFrom some dim phase its own surprise;Under these yellow..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/william-plomer-46550_behinds_the-commonplace-needs-no-defence-dullnes_2126656.jpg" --- # The commonplace needs no defence,Dullness is in the… ![“The commonplace needs no defence,Dullness is in the critic's eyes,Without a licence life evolvesFrom some dim phase its own surprise;Under these yellow-twinkling elms,Behind these hedges trimly shorn,As in a stable once, so hereIt may be born, it may be born.” quote by William Plomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/william-plomer-46550_behinds_the-commonplace-needs-no-defence-dullnes_2126656.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/william-plomer-46550_behinds_the-commonplace-needs-no-defence-dullnes_2126656.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/william-plomer-46550_behinds_the-commonplace-needs-no-defence-dullnes_2126656.jpg) > “The commonplace needs no defence,Dullness is in the critic's eyes,Without a licence life evolvesFrom some dim phase its own surprise;Under these yellow-twinkling elms,Behind these hedges trimly shorn,As in a stable once, so hereIt may be born, it may be born.” [William Plomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-plomer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ordinary life evolves without defense; dullness is a matter of perception, and surprise emerges from simple settings. **In simple terms:** Everyday moments hold hidden wonder. Key Takeaway Notice the subtle beauty around you. Themes observation beauty perception Mood thoughtful inspired Type poetic reflective When to use this quote - gardening - urban walks - reading poetry - contemplation Key Concepts aesthetics mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What ordinary scene has surprised you lately? - How can you cultivate curiosity in daily routines? A Different Perspective Ignoring the mundane can blind us to its gifts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behinds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) [Born](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/born/) [Commonplace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commonplace/) [Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critics/) [Defence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defence/) [Defence Dullness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defence-dullness-4364370/) [Dullness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dullness/) [Dullness Critic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dullness-critic-4364368/) [Elms Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elms-hedges-4364369/) [Eye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eye/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Phases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phases/) [Stable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stable/) [Surprise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprise/) [Twinkling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twinkling/) [Twinkling Elms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twinkling-elms-4364371/) [Yellow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yellow/) ## Related quotes > [Once we have this inner peace, world peace can be achieved in the twinkling of an eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-chinmoy/once-we-have-this-inner-peace-world-peace-can-be-achieved-in-the/) [Sri Chinmoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-chinmoy/) > [Keep up the good work, if only for a while, if only for the twinkling of a tiny galaxy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wislawa-szymborska/keep-up-the-good-work-if-only-for-a-while-if-only-for-the-twinkling/) [Wislawa Szymborska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wislawa-szymborska/) > [What fraction of the twinkling lights you see at night have Earths?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-marcy/what-fraction-of-the-twinkling-lights-you-see-at-night-have-earths/) [Geoffrey Marcy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-marcy/) > [Château and hut, stone face and dangling figure, the red stain on the stone floor, and the pure water in the village well-thousands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/ch-teau-and-hut-stone-face-and-dangling-figure-the-red-stain-on-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The twinkling of an eye...that little incandescence you see in people when the charm of a thing strikes them, or the humor of it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/the-twinkling-of-an-eye-that-little-incandescence-you-see-in-people/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) > [She gazed toward the marsh that grew thicker, deeper, greener with approaching summer. 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Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-b-edwards/) > [The Christmas tree, twinkling with lights, had a mountain of gifts piled up beneath it, like offerings to the great god of excess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tess-gerritsen/the-christmas-tree-twinkling-with-lights-had-a-mountain-of-gifts/) [Tess Gerritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tess-gerritsen/) > [Consciousness expresses itself through creation. This world we live in is the dance of the creator. Dancers come and go in the twinkling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/consciousness-expresses-itself-through-creation-this-world-we-live-in/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [Like us many have spoken over this spring, but they were gone in the twinkling of an eye. We conquered the world with bravery…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babur/like-us-many-have-spoken-over-this-spring-but-they-were-gone-in-the/) [Babur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babur/) > [Muse of the many twinkling feet, whose charms are now extending up from legs to arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-byron/muse-of-the-many-twinkling-feet-whose-charms-are-now-extending-up/) [Lord Byron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-byron/) > [This evening is as brief as the twinkling of an eye yet such twinklings is what eternity is made of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/this-evening-is-as-brief-as-the-twinkling-of-an-eye-yet-such/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [It was a chilly winter's night; And frost was glitt'ring on theground, And evening stars were twinkling bright;](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-barnes/it-was-a-chilly-winter-s-night-and-frost-was-glitt-ring-on-theground/) [William Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-barnes/) > [“If you took the world away and just left the elctricity, it would look like the most exquisite filigree ever made - a ball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/if-you-took-the-world-away-and-just-left-the-elctricity-it-would-look/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) ## More by William Plomer > [It is a function of creative men to perceive the relations between thoughts, or things, or forms of expression that may seem utterly different,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-plomer/it-is-a-function-of-creative-men-to-perceive-the-relations-between/) [William Plomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-plomer/) > [Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-plomer/creativity-is-the-power-to-connect-the-seemingly-unconnected/) [William Plomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-plomer/) > [Oh, the twenties and the thirties were not otherwise designedThan other times when blind men into ditches led the blind,When the rich mouse ate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-plomer/oh-the-twenties-and-the-thirties-were-not-otherwise-designedthan/) [William Plomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-plomer/) > [To keep a diary is to attempt a difficult literary form. 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Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-d-wilson/) [Browse all 6,789 Behinds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behinds/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The commonplace needs no defence,Dullness is in the critic's eyes,Without a licence life evolvesFrom some dim phase its own surprise;Under these yellow-twinkling elms,Behind these hedges trimly shorn,As in a stable once, so hereIt may be born, it may be born.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Plomer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-plomer/the-commonplace-needs-no-defence-dullness-is-in-the-critic-s-eyes/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Behinds" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-plomer/the-commonplace-needs-no-defence-dullness-is-in-the-critic-s-eyes/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/william-plomer-46550_behinds_the-commonplace-needs-no-defence-dullnes_2126656.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/william-plomer-46550_behinds_the-commonplace-needs-no-defence-dullnes_2126656.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d5/william-plomer-46550_behinds_the-commonplace-needs-no-defence-dullnes_2126656.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The commonplace needs no defence,Dullness is in the critic's eyes,Without a licence life evolvesFrom some…” — William Plomer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "William Plomer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-plomer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The commonplace needs no defence,Dullness is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-plomer/the-commonplace-needs-no-defence-dullness-is-in-the-critic-s-eyes/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-plomer/the-commonplace-needs-no-defence-dullness-is-in-the-critic-s-eyes/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```