Epic poetry exhibits life in some great symbolic attitude. It cannot strictly be said to symbolize life itself, but always some manner of life.

The Border Ballads, for instance, and the Robin Hood Ballads, clearly suppose a state of society which is nothing but a very circumscribed and not very important heroic age.

But the gravest difficulty, and perhaps the most important, in poetry meant solely for recitation, is the difficulty of achieving verbal beauty, or rather of making verbal beauty tell.

The balance of private good and general welfare is at the bottom of civilized morals but the morals of the Heroic Age are founded on individuality, and on nothing else.

No poet will ever take the written word as a substitute for the spoken word; he knows that it is on the spoken word, and the spoken word only, that his art is founded.

How to tell students what to look for without telling them what to see is the dilemma of teaching.

The first epics were intended for recitation; the literary epic is meant to be read.

Poetry is the work of poets, not of peoples or communities; artistic creation can never be anything but the production of an individual mind.

The world knows of a vast stock of epic material scattered up and down the nations; sometimes its artistic value is as extraordinary as its archaeological interest, but not always.

The epic poet collaborates with the spirit of his time in the composition of his work. That is, if he is successful; the time may refuse to work with him, but he may not refuse to work with his time.

That is to say, epic poetry has been invented many times and independently; but, as the needs which prompted the invention have been broadly similar, so the invention itself has been.

Amidst the whole peril in the world, here’s why you’re still alive–to find your purpose. Your purpose will ignite hope in others.

All I ask for the negro is that if you do not like him, let him alone. If God gave him but little, that little let him enjoy.

The twenty first century will require a re-affirmation and re-definition of our alliances and international organisations.

If you understand the independent worker, the self-employed professional, the freelancer, the e-lancer, the temp, you understand how work and business in the U.S. operate today.

It is only life and love that give love and life.

American law needs to reflect gods law.

I've always had a soft spot for comic books. I learned to read from them. The words in them were so interesting.

Again and again, the impossible problem is solved when we see that the problem is only a tough decision waiting to be made.

I cannot recall a more engaging passage in fiction, and I've been trying for almost eighteen seconds.

I profoundly feel that people are letting you down all the time.