Poetry finds first and seeks afterwards. It is the quarry of exegesis which is unquestionably a Muse because it is apt to decipher our codes, to illuminate our inner darkness, and to tell us about what we were unaware of having said.

Jean Cocteau as transcribed by Stephen. Ullmann, Language and Style

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The source of this statement was recorded by Stephen Ullmann in his book Language and Style: Collected Papers of "Stephen Ullmann"

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