The commonplace needs no defence, Dullness is in the critic… - William Plomer

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The commonplace needs no defence,
Dullness is in the critic’s eyes,
Without a licence life evolves
From some dim phase its own surprise;Under these yellow-twinkling elms,
Behind these hedges trimly shorn,
As in a stable once, so here
It may be born, it may be born.

William Plomer

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About William Plomer

William Charles Franklyn Plomer (10 December 1903 – 21 September 1973) was a South African poet, novelist and campaigner for racial equality. He also wrote the librettos for four of Benjamin Britten’s operas. He wrote some of his poetry under the pseudonym Robert Pagan.

Also Known As

Alternative Names: William Charles Franklyn Plomer

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Ogden Nash Oliver Goldsmith Walter Scott Ludovico Ariosto Lord Byron

Additional quotes by William Plomer

Out of that bungled, unwise war
An alp of unforgiveness grew.

A family portrait not too stale to record
Of a pleasant old buffer, nephew to a lord,
Who believed that the bank was mightier than the sword,
And that an umbrella might pacify barbarians abroad:
Just like an old liberal
Between the wars.

We hear a great deal about sex nowadays; it is possible to overestimate its importance, because there are always people who pay it little attention or who apparently manage, like Sir Isaac Newton, to get along, without giving it a thought.

The commonplace needs no defence, Dullness is in the critic’s eyes, Without a licence life evolves From some dim phase its own surprise;Under these y… - William Plomer

About William Plomer

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