To let actions become poems is to act with intention, not impulse: choosing a theme (justice, kindness, truth), revising when you fall short, and keeping a consistent cadence between values and behavior. Just as a poem gains power through precision, actions gain power through specificity—apologizing clearly, sharing resources concretely, showing up reliably.
Finally, the quote proposes a standard for a meaningful life: not how elegantly we describe the world, but how beautifully we alter it. When deeds carry clarity and care, they do what Woolf asks of art at its best—they wake us up. [...]