William Empson
William Empson
Sir William Empsonwas an English literary critic and poet, widely influential for his practice of closely reading literary works, a practice fundamental to New Criticism. His best-known work is his first, Seven Types of Ambiguity, published in 1930...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth27 September 1906
accommodations forbearance temper
The difficult part of good temper consists in forbearance, and accommodation to the ill-humors of others.
dream men long
All those large dreams by which men long live well Are magic-lanterned on the smoke of hell.
art political impossible
To produce pure proletarian art the artist must be at one with the worker; this is impossible, not for political reasons, but because the artist never is at one with any public.
borders hopefulness improving
Liberal hopefulness Regards death as a mere border to an improving picture.
christian buddhist different
Buddhists and Christians contrive to agree about death Making death their ideal basis for different ideals. The Communists however disapprove of death Except when practical.
art roots poetry
The machinations of ambiguity are among the very roots of poetry.
views poetry literature
I'm afraid I take ... this rather clinical view of love: it's saving you from madness. I'm not so enthusiastic as other poets have been.
reading thinking bridges
I think many people (like myself) prefer to read poetry mixed with prose; it gives you more to go by; the conventions of poetry have been getting far off from normal life, so that to have a prose bridge makes reading poetry seem more natural.
men sea iron
Twixt devil and deep sea, man hacks his caves; Birth, death; one, many; what is true, and seems; Earth's vast hot iron, cold space's empty waves.
world good-enough be-good
This world is good enough for me, if only I can be good enough for it.
boys knowing waiting
Shall I make it clear, boys, for all to apprehend, Those that will not hear, boys, waiting for the end, Knowing it is near, boys, trying to pretend, Sitting in cold fear, boys, waiting for the end?
boys knowing waiting
Shall I make it clear, boys, for all to apprehend, Those that will not hear, boys, waiting for the end, Knowing it is near, boys, trying to pretend, Sitting in cold fear, boys, waiting for the end?