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Poetry balances itself on the pinprick of the moment (Ian McEwan)

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Novels and movies, being restlessly modern, propel you forwards or backwards through time, through days, years or even generations. But to do its noticing and judging, poetry balances itself on the pinprick of the moment. Slowing down, stopping yourself completely, to read and understand a poem is like trying to acquire an old-fashioned skill like drystone walling or trout tickling.

Ian McEwan (in Saturday

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