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
involves life oneself solved
. . . life involves maintaining oneself between contradictions that can't be solved by analysis.
absorb admit asking attending cultures dissolve judgement natural stand
Attending there let us absorb the cultures of nationsAnd dissolve into our judgement all their codes.Then, being clogged, with a natural hesitation(People are continually asking one the way out),Let us stand here and admit that we have no road.
absorb admit asking attending cultures dissolve hesitation judgement nations natural stand
Attending there let us absorb the cultures of nations And dissolve into our judgement all their codes. Then, being clogged, with a natural hesitation (People are continually asking one the way out), Let us stand here and admit that we have no road.
civil creeping fear force
The "News," the conferences that leer,the creeping fog, the civil traps.These are what force you into fear.
civil creeping force
The "News," the conferences that leer, the creeping fog, the civil traps. These are what force you into fear.
best seemed
It seemed the best thing to be up and go.
deep happen remember
It is this deep blankness is the real thing strange.The more things happen to you the more you can'tTell or remember even what they were.
deep happen remember
It is this deep blankness is the real thing strange. The more things happen to you the more you can't Tell or remember even what they were.
seems till
It seems unpleasantly refinedTo put things off till someone knows.
accept cannot central feeling felt fortunate isolation life prepared rich strength value waste
. . . the waste even in a fortunate life, the isolation of a life rich in intimacy, cannot but be felt deeply, and is the central feeling of tragedy. And anything of value must accept this because it must not prostitute itself; its strength is to be prepared to waste itself, if it does not get the opportunity.
pain
It is the pain, it is the pain, endures.
english-poet
You don't want madhouse and the whole thing there.
cannot english-poet heart standing
The heart of standing is you cannot fly.
pumps
My heart pumps yet the poison draught of you.