The epic poet has behind him a tradition of matter and a tradition of style; and that is what every other poet has behind him too; only, for the epic poet, tradition is rather narrower, rather more strictly compelling.
“Creativity is not a trait that we inherit in our genes or a blessing bestowed by the angels. It's a skill.”
“A severe though not unfriendly critic of our institutions said that the cure for admiring the House of Lords was to go and look at it.”