April 29, 2008


george mikes and epigrams

Epigrams take us on elegant brisk journeys; they are smart ripostes in which X proposes, Y disposes. They are beautifully crafted little musical instruments, exquisite jewelled needles that can do real harm. There is nothing quite so lethal as a neat binary:

Four legs good: two legs bad.

Me Tarzan, you Jane.

from George Szirtes

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2 Responses to “george mikes and epigrams”

  1. Sheila Ryan on April 29th, 2008 at 3:36 pm

    And “they sit at an angle to us now, part of a world that seems suspiciously contrived.” I found that melancholy observation especially acute.

  2. Deron Bauman on April 29th, 2008 at 6:34 pm

    these are fantastic.

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