All It Takes Study Guide

All It Takes Summary and Analysis

Preview of All It Takes Summary:

Lines 1-3

Phillips starts “All It Takes” by reinforcing the title, echoing the meaning of “all” with the poem's first word, “any.” While the title of the poem leaves open the suggestion of what might be necessary, the first line narrows the subject of the work down to a “force,” proceeding to define what might be considered to be forces.

The second and third lines suggest phenomena that might be regarded as the kinds of forces the poem is talking about, offering readers a range from positive to negative, aggressive to benign. “Generosity” is, of course, thought to be one of the most selfless of human attributes; “sudden updraft” is a breeze that is beyond the control of an individual; “fear” is one of the most destructive of human emotions. What they all have in common, as pointed out in line 3, is that they cannot be seen by the...
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