January 20, 2025

When great changes occur in history, when great principles are involved, as a rule the majority are wrong. The minority are right.

When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the areas of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses. For art establishes the basic human truths which must serve as the touchstone of our judgement.

Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half of the time.