Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Volume 3
Please see this – on the right – form perfect as against its imperfect model. I feel Nishikanta’s formal perfection does justify my faith in rhyme, rhythm, etc. as against Lawrence’s in free verse unmetricality, eh??
There can be no doubt of that.
Lawrence’s however would say that the question is not between imperfect and perfect metrical work, but between metrical rhythm in poetry and poetry stripped bare of metre and presented with a bare elemental energy of language, vision and movement. Theory for theory it can stand, but in the practice and result the effects seem to me to be against Lawrence’s theory.