Hang it all, Robert Browning, there can be but the one 'Sordello.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Pound suggests that only one perfect work like 'Sordello' can exist for a poet, implying a limit on masterpiece output.
- In plain terms
- An artist may have only one true masterpiece to offer.
- What can you take from it?
- Focus on quality over quantity in creative work.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is there only one true masterpiece in your career?
- How do you define quality?
Another view
Many artists produce multiple significant works over a lifetime.
More from Ezra Pound
Poetry must be as well written as prose.
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