Poetry Quotes | Beyond Motive

top of page

Poetry Quotes

"Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds."

"Poetry is the record of the best and happiest moments of the happiest and best minds."

Percy Bysshe Shelley, English Poet

Poetry, Moments

247

"What is poetry which does not save nations or people?"

"What is poetry which does not save nations or people?"

Czeslaw Milosz, Polish Poet

Poetry, People, Nations

38

"Poetry is a sort of homecoming."

"Poetry is a sort of homecoming."

Paul Celan, Romanian Poet

35

"When truth has no burning, then it is philosophy, when it gets burning from the heart, it becomes poetry."

"When truth has no burning, then it is philosophy, when it gets burning from the heart, it becomes poetry."

Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistani Poet

Poetry, Truth, Heart, Philosophy

32

"A grain of poetry suffices to season a century."

"A grain of poetry suffices to season a century."

Jose Marti, Cuban Activist

29

"Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary."

"Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary."

Khalil Gibran, Lebanese Poet

Poetry, Joy, Pain, Wonder

28

"All one's inventions are true, you can be sure of that. Poetry is as exact a science as geometry."

"All one's inventions are true, you can be sure of that. Poetry is as exact a science as geometry."

Gustave Flaubert, French Novelist

Poetry, Science, Geometry, Inventions

27

"Art: If the object of poetry is, to make men, then poetry is the heir of prophecy."

"Art: If the object of poetry is, to make men, then poetry is the heir of prophecy."

Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistani Poet

Poetry, Men, Heir, Prophecy

25

"I grew up in this town, my poetry was born between the hill and the river, it took its voice from the rain, and like the timber, it steeped itself in the forests."

"I grew up in this town, my poetry was born between the hill and the river, it took its voice from the rain, and like the timber, it steeped itself in the forests."

Pablo Neruda, Chilean Writer

Poetry, Rain, Voice

20

"Serious poetry deals with the fundamental conflicts that cannot be logically resolved: we can state the conflicts rationally, but reason does not relieve us of them."

"Serious poetry deals with the fundamental conflicts that cannot be logically resolved: we can state the conflicts rationally, but reason does not relieve us of them."

Allen Tate, American Poet

Poetry, Deals, Reason, State

18

"I have nothing to say, I am saying it, and that is poetry."

"I have nothing to say, I am saying it, and that is poetry."

John Cage, American Composer

Poetry, Nothing, Saying

17

"Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted."

"Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted."

Percy Bysshe Shelley, English Poet

17

"So, poetry becomes a means for useful dialogue between people who are not only unknown, but mute to each other. It produces a dialogue among people that guards all of us against manipulation by our so-called leaders."

"So, poetry becomes a means for useful dialogue between people who are not only unknown, but mute to each other. It produces a dialogue among people that guards all of us against manipulation by our so-called leaders."

June Jordan, American Writer

Poetry, People, Leaders, Manipulation

14

"I want to branch out. I want to write. I write poetry. I want to see my children grow up well."

"I want to branch out. I want to write. I write poetry. I want to see my children grow up well."

Annie Lennox, Scottish Musician

Poetry, Children, Want

13

"Written poetry is worth reading once, and then should be destroyed. Let the dead poets make way for others."

"Written poetry is worth reading once, and then should be destroyed. Let the dead poets make way for others."

Antonin Artaud, French Dramatist

Poetry, Poets, Reading, Worth

13

"There is something about poetry beyond prose logic, there is mystery in it, not to be explained but admired."

"There is something about poetry beyond prose logic, there is mystery in it, not to be explained but admired."

Edward Young, English Poet

Poetry, Logic, Mystery, Prose

13

"As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky. So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, with the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too."

"As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky. So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, with the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too."

Clement Clarke Moore, American Writer

12

"Poetry is a political act because it involves telling the truth."

"Poetry is a political act because it involves telling the truth."

June Jordan, American Writer

Poetry, Truth, Act

12

"When it comes to atoms, language can be used only as in poetry. The poet, too, is not nearly so concerned with describing facts as with creating images."

"When it comes to atoms, language can be used only as in poetry. The poet, too, is not nearly so concerned with describing facts as with creating images."

Niels Bohr, Danish Physicist

Poetry, Atoms, Facts, Language

12

"We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry."

"We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry."

William Butler Yeats, Irish Poet

Poetry, Quarrel, Rhetoric

12

"Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things."

"Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things."

T. S. Eliot, American Poet

Poetry, Emotion, Emotions, Expression

12

"My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity."

"My subject is War, and the pity of War. The Poetry is in the pity."

Wilfred Owen, English Soldier

Poetry, War, Pity

11

"I want people to bow as they see me and say he is gifted with poetry, he has seen the presence of the creator."

"I want people to bow as they see me and say he is gifted with poetry, he has seen the presence of the creator."

Allen Ginsberg, American Poet

Poetry, People, Want

11

"Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn."

"Poetry is thoughts that breathe, and words that burn."

Thomas Gray, English Poet

Poetry, Thoughts, Words

11

"Well, if this is poetry, I'm certainly never going to write any myself."

"Well, if this is poetry, I'm certainly never going to write any myself."

James Schuyler, American Poet

11

"Poetry is the mother-tongue of the human race."

"Poetry is the mother-tongue of the human race."

Johann G. Hamann, German Philosopher

Poetry, Mother, Race

11

"Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood."

"Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood."

T. S. Eliot, American Poet

11

"Poetry and prayer are very similar."

"Poetry and prayer are very similar."

Carol Ann Duffy, British Poet

10

"Ye stars! which are the poetry of heaven!"

"Ye stars! which are the poetry of heaven!"

Lord Byron, British Poet

10

"In our period, they say there is free speech. They say there is no penalty for poets, There is no penalty for writing poems. They say this. This is the penalty."

"In our period, they say there is free speech. They say there is no penalty for poets, There is no penalty for writing poems. They say this. This is the penalty."

Muriel Rukeyser, American Poet

Poetry, Freespeech, Poems, Poets, Writing

9

"We don't attempt to have any theme for a number of the anthology, or to have any particular sequence. We just put in things that we like, and then we try to alternate the prose and the poetry."

"We don't attempt to have any theme for a number of the anthology, or to have any particular sequence. We just put in things that we like, and then we try to alternate the prose and the poetry."

James Laughlin, American Poet

9

"Deep feeling doesn't make for good poetry. A way with language would be a bit of help."

"Deep feeling doesn't make for good poetry. A way with language would be a bit of help."

Thom Gunn, British Poet

Poetry, Deep, Feeling, Help

9

"Poetry: the best words in the best order."

"Poetry: the best words in the best order."

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, English Poet

Poetry, Order, Words

9

"I've already written 300 space poems. But I look upon my ultimate form as being a poetic prose. When you read it, it appears to be prose, but within the prose you have embedded the techniques of poetry."

"I've already written 300 space poems. But I look upon my ultimate form as being a poetic prose. When you read it, it appears to be prose, but within the prose you have embedded the techniques of poetry."

Story Musgrave, American Astronaut

Poetry, Being, Poems, Prose

9

"The moon seems unawareof night's dark hittingon the damp warm rain misguiding owl's spitting A thunder light of loveraising hearts beatingwhile weather learns morefrom rain lovers meeting."

"The moon seems unawareof night's dark hittingon the damp warm rain misguiding owl's spitting A thunder light of loveraising hearts beatingwhile weather learns morefrom rain lovers meeting."

Munia Khan, Bangladeshi Poet

Poetry, Nature, Romance, Mystery, Emotion

9

"I don't think the creative writing industry has helped American poetry."

"I don't think the creative writing industry has helped American poetry."

Robert Morgan, American Soldier

Poetry, Writing

9

"And inasmuch as the bridge is a symbol of all such poetry as I am interested in writing it is my present fancy that a year from now I'll be more contented working in an office than ever before."

"And inasmuch as the bridge is a symbol of all such poetry as I am interested in writing it is my present fancy that a year from now I'll be more contented working in an office than ever before."

Hart Crane, American Poet

Poetry, Fancy, Now, Office

9

"There is no gilding of setting sun or glamor of poetry to light up the ferocious and endless toil of the farmers' wives."

"There is no gilding of setting sun or glamor of poetry to light up the ferocious and endless toil of the farmers' wives."

Hamlin Garland, American Novelist

Poetry, Light, Sun, Wives

8

"I despair of ever writing excellent poetry."

"I despair of ever writing excellent poetry."

Isaac Rosenberg, English Poet

Poetry, Despair, Writing

8

"With several different kinds of poetry to choose from, a man would decide that he would like best to be an epic poet, and he would set out, in conscious determination, on an epic poem."

"With several different kinds of poetry to choose from, a man would decide that he would like best to be an epic poet, and he would set out, in conscious determination, on an epic poem."

Lascelles Abercrombie, British Poet

Poetry, Determination, Man

8

"However, I learned something. I thought that if the young person, the student, has poetry in him or her, to offer them help is like offering a propeller to a bird."

"However, I learned something. I thought that if the young person, the student, has poetry in him or her, to offer them help is like offering a propeller to a bird."

Norman MacCaig, Scottish Poet

Poetry, Thought, Help

7

"Poetry leads us to the unstructured sources of our beings, to the unknown, and returns us to our rational, structured selves refreshed."

"Poetry leads us to the unstructured sources of our beings, to the unknown, and returns us to our rational, structured selves refreshed."

A. R. Ammons, American Poet

7

"A lyric, it is true, is the expression of personal emotion, but then so is all poetry, and to suppose that there are several kinds of poetry, differing from each other in essence, is to be deceived by wholly artificial divisions which have no real being."

"A lyric, it is true, is the expression of personal emotion, but then so is all poetry, and to suppose that there are several kinds of poetry, differing from each other in essence, is to be deceived by wholly artificial divisions which have no real being."

John Drinkwater, English Poet

Poetry, Being, Emotion, Expression

7

"But it is the province of religion, of philosophy, of pure poetry only, to go beyond life, beyond time, into eternity."

"But it is the province of religion, of philosophy, of pure poetry only, to go beyond life, beyond time, into eternity."

Alfred de Vigny, French Poet

Poetry, Life, Religion, Time

7

"Reality only reveals itself when it is illuminated by a ray of poetry."

"Reality only reveals itself when it is illuminated by a ray of poetry."

Georges Braque, French Artist

Poetry, Reality

7

"We read Robert Browning's poetry. Here we needed no guidance from the professor: the poems themselves were enough."

"We read Robert Browning's poetry. Here we needed no guidance from the professor: the poems themselves were enough."

Carl Sandburg, American Poet

Poetry, Guidance, Poems

7

"I think that one possible definition of our modern culture is that it is one in which nine-tenths of our intellectuals can't read any poetry."

"I think that one possible definition of our modern culture is that it is one in which nine-tenths of our intellectuals can't read any poetry."

Randall Jarrell, American Poet

Poetry, Culture, Intellectuals

7

"Poetry is the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits."

"Poetry is the synthesis of hyacinths and biscuits."

Carl Sandburg, American Poet

7

"Moon! Moon! I am prone before you. Pity me, and drench me in loneliness."

"Moon! Moon! I am prone before you. Pity me, and drench me in loneliness."

Amy Lowell, American Poet

Poetry, Loneliness, Pity

7

"A chronic poet should always be an inveterate nature-lover."

"A chronic poet should always be an inveterate nature-lover."

Munia Khan, Bangladeshi Poet

Poetry, Nature, Love, Life

6

bottom of page