"I do not see how a man can work on the frontiers of physics and write poetry at the same time. They are in opposition"

Paul Dirac's quote recommends that he thinks that the 2 activities of dealing with the frontiers of physics and writing poetry are incompatible. He indicates that it is tough to concentrate on both activities at the very same time, as they remain in opposition to each other. This could be interpreted as a reflection of Dirac's own experience, as he was a distinguished physicist who was also a poet. He may have found it hard to stabilize the two activities, and therefore concluded that they are in opposition. Alternatively, Dirac may have been referring to the reality that the 2 activities require different skills and techniques. Physics is an extremely analytical and sensible field, while poetry is more creative and subjective. For that reason, it might be difficult to switch between the 2 activities and keep a high level of efficiency in both.