We have a strained image of the composition of the poem at its very outset and we have an image of someone writing as if he were participating in a race.

如果一开始我们就对诗歌的创作有一种不友善的印象,那么我们就会对诗人有一种印象,就好像他正在参加一场竞赛。

耶鲁公开课 - 弥尔顿课程节选