William Empson
William Empson
Sir William Empsonwas an English literary critic and poet, widely influential for his practice of closely reading literary works, a practice fundamental to New Criticism. His best-known work is his first, Seven Types of Ambiguity, published in 1930...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth27 September 1906
William Empson quotes about
involves life oneself solved
. . . life involves maintaining oneself between contradictions that can't be solved by analysis.
dream men long
All those large dreams by which men long live well Are magic-lanterned on the smoke of hell.
accommodations forbearance temper
The difficult part of good temper consists in forbearance, and accommodation to the ill-humors of others.
maintaining analysis contradiction
Life involves maintaining oneself between contradictions that can't be solved by analysis.