The Poetic Principle • Paragraph 8
Stage 1 of 6

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The true poet speaks in images. He employs metaphor and rhythm to awaken in the reader's mind an impression which, like a musical chord, compels a sympathetic response. The precision of language, the selection of words, and the cadence of the sentence are essential elements. The poem must be wrought — not written. The labor must be that of perfecting an effect; all remoteness of purpose must be avoided.