Not many poets can claim either attribute; fewer still can manage both, so that the technical skill serves as a tool for the exploration of emotion.... Poets who can adroitly handle the stanza form of Yeats' The Wild Swans at Coole (as in "Coole Park," the final poem in What Persists) usually please us by their finesse, not their power. What Persists offers both finesse and power.
The reference underscores the rarity of poets possessing both attributes; few can excel at both, making technical skill a vital instrument for emotional exploration. Poets who adeptly handle Yeats' stanza form, as seen in "Coole Park," typically win us over with their sophistication rather than brute force. What Persists embodies the ideal combination of finesse and power.