On the Hymn to Breaking Strain, George Engle wrote:
What a splendid poem it is!
Indeed it is - it was on my list of 10 favourites which many of us
suggested a while back. I find it intensely moving, but hadn't realised
how near the end of RK's life it was written, when he was clearly
struggling with his own 'breaking strain'. The title of 'Limits and
Renewals' is, of course, on the same theme. In engineering terms the
ideas go back a long way - the description of engineering failure
reminds me of passages in 'the Bridge Builders'.
I have just sat here for five minutes or so speculating on how small a
proportion of RK's work could be described as NOT being, in one way or
another, concerned with the causes, consequences and prevention of
breakdown and failure. (Although maybe that's true of any creative
writer)
Liz
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