The revision process is undoubtedly much more enjoyable in poetry than in prose. In fact, perhaps they deserve separate names, since they are very different processes. In the first case, the task is to polish, to swap out this or that word, and in doing so, one immediately reaps the reward of the altered line’s effect—a line that has already demanded work and reflection. In the second case, revision is more a process of correction and rewriting. In poetry, the greatest effort occurs at the beginning, when one must construct the poem’s framework; in prose, the draft flows naturally, and the hard part is transforming it into the final text. Transforming a mediocre line into an elegant one is a joy; correcting flaws in a poorly written text is nothing more than a duty.
Category: Notes
Whenever We Witness the Collapse…
Whenever we witness the collapse of our imaginary foundations, we emerge from the experience convinced that those could not have been foundations, and that reality has persisted. Reality, incidentally, always persists: no catastrophe has ever affected it. We never seem to truly learn this, but it is wise to return again and again to the realization that stability is impossible, that to yearn for it is to desire a reality that does not exist, and is to foster disappointment and a sense of inadequacy. It does us good to listen to Epictetus, to get used to wearing a serene smile, giving thanks for what we have been given and blessing what has “returned.”
The Greatest Misfortune of Politics
The greatest misfortune of politics is that politicians do not love the country they serve. Instead, they love power. This creates an essentially confrontational environment in which adversaries can only find common ground by acting against the common good. Consequently, constructive dialogue and a shared long-term vision become impossible: one is always, first, against the other; then, against everyone else. Ideologies are of little consequence in the face of this absent love, without which nothing good can be expected.
It Is Very Rare to Find a Public Figure…
It is very rare to find a public figure who does not appear intoxicated by his position, truly believing that he can influence, alter, control, determine, and lead. To understand the significance of this state, one need only contrast it with that of the religious man, whose faith is usually the result of a more or less lengthy process that begins with the realization of complete powerlessness in the face of creation. Before moving even a speck of dust, he is aware that his action will never have more than a very limited scope, and will be good only if it conforms to a will that transcends his own. That first man lives in isolation and delusion, ignores the world, and stirs up the worst in his nature—but the day comes when nature teaches him a lesson.