[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fPUYYvpFwEGumAQfvpw0iWAz428Tf2AOApp4Sfz6GX4k":3,"$fwKFxDXAw78GrDa7oew7Tj1qUBrTiIBHA6CMKpwwrLcY":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},58762,"William Empson","W",43,null,"william-empson",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":113},[14,22,28,34,46,57,68,79,90,101],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},3510569,"Poets, on the face of it, have either got to be easier or to write their own notes; readers have either got to take more trouble over reading or cease to regard notes as pretentious and a sign of bad poetry.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":25,"source":26,"quote_tag":27,"commentary":9},3510520,"Twixt devil and deep sea, man hacks his caves; Birth, death; one, many; what is true, and seems; Earth’s vast hot iron, cold space’s empty waves.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":29,"quote_text":30,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":31,"source":32,"quote_tag":33,"commentary":9},3510493,"Life involves maintaining oneself between contradictions that can’t be solved by analysis.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":35,"quote_text":36,"author_id":5,"source_id":37,"has_image":18,"author":38,"source":39,"quote_tag":40,"commentary":9},1412901,"This world is good enough for me, if only I can be good enough for it.",4,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[41],{"id":42,"tag":43},4409171,{"id":44,"tag_name":45},13030,"good-enough",{"id":47,"quote_text":48,"author_id":5,"source_id":37,"has_image":18,"author":49,"source":50,"quote_tag":51,"commentary":9},1412896,"Twixt devil and deep sea, man hacks his caves; Birth, death; one, many; what is true, and seems; Earth's vast hot iron, cold space's empty waves.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[52],{"id":53,"tag":54},4409167,{"id":55,"tag_name":56},326,"men",{"id":58,"quote_text":59,"author_id":5,"source_id":37,"has_image":18,"author":60,"source":61,"quote_tag":62,"commentary":9},1412893,"I think many people (like myself) prefer to read poetry mixed with prose;\nit gives you more to go by; the conventions of poetry have been getting\nfar off from normal life, so that to have a prose bridge makes\nreading poetry seem more natural.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[63],{"id":64,"tag":65},4409163,{"id":66,"tag_name":67},56,"thinking",{"id":69,"quote_text":70,"author_id":5,"source_id":37,"has_image":18,"author":71,"source":72,"quote_tag":73,"commentary":9},1412888,"I'm afraid I take ... this rather clinical view of love: it's saving you from madness. I'm not so enthusiastic as other poets have been.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[74],{"id":75,"tag":76},4409158,{"id":77,"tag_name":78},16184,"views",{"id":80,"quote_text":81,"author_id":5,"source_id":37,"has_image":18,"author":82,"source":83,"quote_tag":84,"commentary":9},1412887,"The machinations of ambiguity are among the very roots of poetry.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[85],{"id":86,"tag":87},4409156,{"id":88,"tag_name":89},41,"art",{"id":91,"quote_text":92,"author_id":5,"source_id":37,"has_image":18,"author":93,"source":94,"quote_tag":95,"commentary":9},1412882,"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?",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[96],{"id":97,"tag":98},4409150,{"id":99,"tag_name":100},958,"boys",{"id":102,"quote_text":103,"author_id":5,"source_id":37,"has_image":18,"author":104,"source":105,"quote_tag":106,"commentary":112},1412876,"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.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[107],{"id":108,"tag":109},4409146,{"id":110,"tag_name":111},254,"christian","**The Backstory**\n\nWilliam Empson, a British poet and critic known for his work on metaphor and ambiguity, penned these words likely during the 1930s or 1940s. It was an era marked by intense ideological debates and the rise of totalitarian regimes in Europe. As a scholar, Empson often critiqued the simplistic and dogmatic thinking prevalent in his time.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nEmpson's quote highlights a paradoxical relationship between ideologies that claim to transcend mortality (Buddhism and Christianity) and those that seemingly value life above all else (Communism). However, this dichotomy is subtly undercut by Empson's observation: even the most idealistic ideologies can justify death when it becomes \"practical.\" This suggests that beneath their lofty ideals, these systems often harbor a pragmatic willingness to compromise or sacrifice human life in pursuit of their goals.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nTo apply Empson's insight today, consider the tension between your values and the practical realities of your work. When faced with difficult decisions that may involve sacrificing some aspect of your idealism for the sake of progress, remember that even the most well-intentioned systems can justify morally complex choices when they become \"practical.\" Approach these situations with a critical eye towards the underlying motivations and consequences, rather than simply adhering to a rigid ideology.",{"currentPage":114,"totalPages":115,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":116},1,5,10]