Vitality in Art

A great work of art has vitality for us only when it speaks to our condition. When, for any reason, we step out of the scope of its relevance, it seems to retire from us like the tide, and we are left stranded amid the backwash and detritus left by the last great wave of critical enthusiasm.

Dorothy Sayers Introductory Papers on Dante New York: Harper & Brothers, 1954 pp.xvii