in the thick of things

Often in the presence of other art, or one might say under the pressure of other art, poetry arises.

ride the breath

Less inspire and more spur.

pang or spur

Reading for me has the unfortunate side effect of causing a pang of ignorance whenever I encounter a name, a place or an event I’m unfamiliar with. Rather than a pang, perhaps I should think of it as a spur, urging me on.