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Quotation
Quote by Siegfried Sassoon
One cannot be a good soldier and a good poet at the same time.
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Understanding this quote
The quote presents being a good soldier and being a good poet as incompatible roles. It says a person cannot fully meet the standard of both at once, treating soldiering and poetry as commitments that pull in opposing directions. This is a broad contrast between two identities, not a claim about any particular person or situation.
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About this quotation
- Source
- Cambridge University Library
- Format
- Official Statement
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Topics
“We do not wish to throw them into the sea.”
“English poetry is wonderful but it is not for me.”
“Never in human history have so many died for so little reason.”
“Quite a lot of my days involve men with beards and Kalashnikovs.”
Read quote“I am determined that this war, with all its powers for devastation, shall not master my poeting.”
“Difference is of the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict.”
“From the moment you get on a theater stage, from the moment you go up there, on this stage, you become a poem.”
““Cry Freetown” was just the wake-up call.”
“It has been proven time and again that men do make war but are unable to make peace themselves.”
“They need to be ready to fight anybody.”
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