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The Spirit is Too Blunt an Instrument Lyrics by Anne Stevenson

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The spirit is too blunt an instrument
to have made this baby.
Nothing so unskilful as human passions
could have managed the intricate
exacting particulars: the tiny
blind bones with their manipulating tendons,
the knee and the knucklebones, the resilient
fine meshings of ganglia and vertebrae,
the chain of the difficult spine.
Observe the distinct eyelashes and sharp crescent
fingernails, the shell-like complexity
of the еar, with its firm involutions
concentric in miniature to minute
ossiclеs. Imagine the
infinitesimal capillaries, the flawless connections
of the lungs, the invisible neural filaments
through which the completed body
already answers to the brain.
Then name any passion or sentiment
possessed of the simplest accuracy.
No, no desire or affection could have done
with practice what habit
has done perfectly, indifferently,
through the body's ignorant precision.
It is left to the vagaries of the mind to invent
love and despair and anxiety
and their pain.
Credits
Anne Stevenson

Anne Stevenson

About “The Spirit is Too Blunt an Instrument” by Anne Stevenson

Read the complete lyrics to "The Spirit is Too Blunt an Instrument" by Anne Stevenson. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music.

"The Spirit is Too Blunt an Instrument" is performed by Anne Stevenson. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Spirit is Too Blunt an Instrument", explore more songs by Anne Stevenson using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"The Spirit is Too Blunt an Instrument" is credited to Anne Stevenson. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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Visit the Anne Stevenson artist page at /artist/anne-stevenson for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.