Howard Jacobson quote ✍️

Quote

Let's be honest with one another: almost everything is too long except life, and I know people who wouldn't even concur with that exception.
Poet’s word, with inverted comma, for the end of the day
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E
?
E
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N
Hint 1 meaning
The old plural of Eye.
Hint 2 anagram
NEE
Hint 3 another clue
AND STILL ___
9 +2

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