Reread the last stanza of “The Fight” and write one sentence for each half of the stanza, translating the poetic verse into prose.

Question

To worship or destroy beauty—
That double edge of impulse
I recognize, by which we live;

My sentence

But also the bitter paradox
Of betraying love to harm,
Then lungeing, too late,
With fists, to its defence.
My sentence

When Montague refers to the “double edge of impulse,” what does he mean?
My response:

make simple, no big words.

Answer 1

My sentence (first half): We have a strong desire to either appreciate beauty or to tear it down, and this conflicting feeling is a part of our lives.

My sentence (second half): There’s a painful truth in how we can hurt something we love, only to realize our mistake and try to fight for it afterward.

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My response: When Montague talks about the “double edge of impulse,” he means that our feelings can lead us in two very different directions: we can choose to celebrate and protect beauty or, at the same time, we can hurt it.