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Quote by Stephen Spender

“Poetry cannot take sides except with life.”

Author

Stephen Spender was a British poet known for his lyrical poetry and prose. His works often explore the relationship between the individual and society, as well as profound insights into history and culture. Born on February 28, 1909, he passed away on July 16, 1995. more

“My uncle was famous for his balanced point of view. At the time of which I am writing (when he was nearly seventy) it had become so balanced, that the act of balancing seemed rather automatic.One had only to offer him an opinion for him to balance it with a counter- opinion of exactly the same weight, as a grocer puts a pound weight against a pound of sugar.”

Writing Views Opinion Balance Offers Weight Point Of View Pounds Sugar Balanced Uncles Seventies Grocers

Author:Stephen Spender

“My brothers and sister and I were brought up in an atmosphere which I would describe as 'Puritan decadence'. Puritanism names the behaviour which is condemned; Puritan decadence regards the name itself as indecent, and pretends that the object behind that name does not exist until it is named.”

Doe Names Behinds Objects Brother Regard Atmosphere My Brother Behaviour Brothers And Sisters Decadence Puritan Puritanism

Author:Stephen Spender

“But reading is not idleness?it is the passive, receptive side of civilization without which the active and creative world would be meaningless. It is the immortal spirit of the dead realised within the bodies of the living. It is sacramental.”

World Body Would Be Spirit Reading Sides Creative Civilization Active Immortal Meaningless Passive Idleness Realised Receptive

Author:Stephen Spender

“Never allow gradually the traffic to smother with noise and fog the flowering of the spirit.”

Spirit Noise Traffic Fog Flowering

Book:Selected Poems of Stephen Spender