In fact, a prayer for any writer. Having just read John Drury’s marvelous appreciation of George Herbert’s life and his vivifying skills of poetry, I am more conscious than usual of the need for such fortifying.  Drury’s Music at Midnight is, among other things, an excellent analysis of the internal workings of such skills (to be reviewed here…)

‘Fortify my mind

With the vivifying skills of poetry.’  (Inferno, Canto 2)

See also our illustrated quote-rich celebration of Dante’s Divine Comedy in Clive James’ superb translation. 

Source: Dante,The Divine Comedy, trans. Clive James (New York: Liveright Publishing, 2013), p. 9

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