"The writer of prose can only step aside when the poet passes"
- W. Somerset Maugham
About this Quote
This quote by W. Somerset Maugham recommends that the power and impact of verse goes beyond that of prose. It implies that when a poet goes to work, the writer of prose should take a backseat as well as permit the poet to take spotlight.
Maugham highlights the superiority of verse and its capacity to evoke emotions, boost ideas as well as record the essence of a minute or a feeling. He acknowledges that prose has its very own special top qualities and also toughness however thinks that it can not fairly match the deepness as well as intensity of poetic expression.
Overall, the quote highlights the respect and also appreciation that Maugham had for poetry and also its capability to relocate people in ways that prose can not.
"I wish our clever young poets would remember my homely definitions of prose and poetry; that is, prose = words in their best order; - poetry = the best words in the best order"
"Romance like a ghost escapes touching; it is always where you are not, not where you are. The interview or conversation was prose at the time, but it is poetry in the memory"
"When prose gets too stylized and out of control - and Stein is sometimes a good example - when you don't know what the hell is going on, then it's kind of boring"
