No poet is ever completely lost. He has the secret of his childhood safe with him, like some secret cave in which he can kneel. And, when we read his poetry, we can join him there.
Peter AckroydRead
Why should a novelist not also be a historian? To force unnatural divisions within the English language is to work against its capacious and accommodating nature. To expect a writer to produce only novels, or only histories, is equivalent to demanding from a composer that he or she write only string quartets or piano sonatas.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A novelist can draw from history without restriction, just as a composer can use various musical forms.
In this quote, Peter Ackroyd argues against the artificial separation of literary genres, suggesting that writers should have the freedom to blend forms, such as fiction and history. He compares this creative freedom in writing to that of a composer, who is not limited to one style or type of music, highlighting the expansive and inclusive nature of the English language and artistic expression.
Themes
NovelistHistorianWritingArtCreativityGenres
In practice
Example use cases
During a literary workshop, this quote can emphasize the importance of creativity and genre-blending in writing.
More from Peter Ackroyd
All quotes →It may seem unfashionable to say so, but historians should seize the imagination as well as the intellect. History is, in a sense, a story, a narrative of adventure and of vision, of character and of incident. It is also a portrait of the great general drama of the human spirit.
Peter AckroydRead
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