But the gravest difficulty, and perhaps the most important, in poetry meant solely for recitation, is the difficulty of achieving verbal beauty, or rather of making verbal beauty tell.

Lascelles Abercrombie

The Quote in Other Words

The most significant challenge in poetry intended for recitation is the struggle to attain linguistic elegance and, more importantly, to ensure that such elegance is impactful.

Explanation of the Quote

This quote highlights the challenge of creating beautiful poetry that can be effectively conveyed through recitation. The poet must not only craft words that are aesthetically pleasing, but also ensure that their beauty is not lost in the act of speaking them aloud. This requires a careful balance between form and function, as the poet must consider both the sound and meaning of their words. Additionally, the quote suggests that achieving verbal beauty is not enough on its own; the poet must also find a way to make that beauty resonate with their audience. This may involve using techniques such as repetition, alliteration, or metaphor to create a deeper emotional connection with the listener. Ultimately, the challenge of creating poetry for recitation lies in finding a way to balance the demands of form, function, and audience engagement.