A Poet’s Magic Carpet?
( From: A Theory for Art [xix] )
The weft and warp of poetry are wove
From sounds, alliteration, rhythmic beat,
Harmony, pattern, feeling; these strong threads
Are artfully combined by shuttle-thoughts,
Flying incessantly between, and bound
Into a comprehensive whole by knots
Of reason and imaginative flair.
Incorporated in this fabric-base
Are decorative elements designed
To illustrate it with sharp metaphors
And well-wrought, striking similes – coloured
Throughout by insight, humour, irony,
By paradox or natural, unforced
Ambiguous abstractions, as required
In due proportions for the poem’s weight,
Its purpose and conceived significance –
To serve the object of its maker’s art:
How best convey the poet’s chosen theme.
