43 Quotes by William Empson

Proust has listed a great many reasons why it is impossible to be happy, but, in the course of being happy, one finds it difficult to remember them.

Life involves maintaining oneself between contradictions that can't be solved by analysis.

The difficult part of good temper consists in forbearance, and accommodation to the ill-humors of others.

All those large dreams by which men long live well Are magic-lanterned on the smoke of hell.

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.

Liberal hopefulness Regards death as a mere border to an improving picture.

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.

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?

The machinations of ambiguity are among the very roots of poetry.