“Poetry is a religion without hope. The poet exhausts himself in its service, knowing that, in the long run, a masterpiece is nothing but the performance of a trained dog on very shaky ground.”

— Jean Cocteau

Diary of an Unknown (1988), On Invisibility

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Jean Cocteau 123

French poet, novelist, dramatist, designer, boxing manager … 1889–1963

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“Poetry is a religion without hope. The poet exhausts himself in its service, knowing that, in the long run, a masterpiece is nothing but the performance of a trained dog on very shaky ground.”

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Jean Cocteau 123

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