Poetry Quotes | Beyond Motive 6/15

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Poetry Quotes

"I saw the gooseflesh on my skin. I did not know what made it. I was not cold. Had a ghost passed over? No, it was the poetry."

"I saw the gooseflesh on my skin. I did not know what made it. I was not cold. Had a ghost passed over? No, it was the poetry."

Sylvia Plath, American Poet

Poetry, Sensation, Emotion, Art

37

"People want poetry. They need poetry. They get it. They don't want fancy work."

"People want poetry. They need poetry. They get it. They don't want fancy work."

Mary Oliver, American Poet

Poetry, Truth, Art, Emotion

37

"Poetry consists in a rhyming dictionary and things seen."

"Poetry consists in a rhyming dictionary and things seen."

Gertrude Stein, American Author

37

"Love was never meant to bejust a metaphorbetween the pages of poetry."

"Love was never meant to bejust a metaphorbetween the pages of poetry."

Sanober Khan, Indian Businessman

Poetry, Love, Metaphor, Truth

37

"I look for poetry in English because it's the only language I read."

"I look for poetry in English because it's the only language I read."

Jack Prelutsky, American Poet

Poetry, English, Language

37

"We are not what we might be, what we are / Outlaws all extrapolation / Beyond the interval of now and here: / White whales are gone with the white ocean."

"We are not what we might be, what we are / Outlaws all extrapolation / Beyond the interval of now and here: / White whales are gone with the white ocean."

Sylvia Plath, American Poet

Poetry, Now, Truth, Freedom, Life

37

"Poetry is not only a set of words which are chosen to relate to each other; it is something which goes much further than that to provide a glimpse of our vision of the world."

"Poetry is not only a set of words which are chosen to relate to each other; it is something which goes much further than that to provide a glimpse of our vision of the world."

Tahar Ben Jelloun, French Poet

Poetry, Vision, Words, World

37

"Poets should ignore most criticism and get on with making poetry."

"Poets should ignore most criticism and get on with making poetry."

Anne Stevenson, American Poet

Poetry, Criticism, Poets

36

"Poetry is the work of poets, not of peoples or communities; artistic creation can never be anything but the production of an individual mind."

"Poetry is the work of poets, not of peoples or communities; artistic creation can never be anything but the production of an individual mind."

Lascelles Abercrombie, British Poet

Poetry, Work, Creation, Mind

36

"Poetry is a mere drug, Sir."

"Poetry is a mere drug, Sir."

George Farquhar, Irish Dramatist

36

"Journalism is concerned with events, poetry with feelings. Journalism is concerned with the look of the world, poetry with the feel of the world."

"Journalism is concerned with events, poetry with feelings. Journalism is concerned with the look of the world, poetry with the feel of the world."

Archibald MacLeish, American Poet

Poetry, Feelings, Events, Journalism

36

"Poetry is also the physical self of the poet, and it is impossible to separate the poet from his poetry."

"Poetry is also the physical self of the poet, and it is impossible to separate the poet from his poetry."

Salvatore Quasimodo, Italian Author

36

"If poetry alters the way in which the reader views the world, then it has had its desired effect."

"If poetry alters the way in which the reader views the world, then it has had its desired effect."

John Barton, Canadian Poet

Poetry, Effect, World

36

"But poetry is my life. Poetry is what matters to me."

"But poetry is my life. Poetry is what matters to me."

Peter Davison, British Actor

36

"A great many people seem to think writing poetry is worthwhile, even though it pays next to nothing and is not as widely read as it should be."

"A great many people seem to think writing poetry is worthwhile, even though it pays next to nothing and is not as widely read as it should be."

Mark Strand, American Poet

Poetry, People, Nothing, Writing

36

"The Spring I seek is in a new face only."

"The Spring I seek is in a new face only."

Allen Tate, American Poet

36

"Poetry is the communication through words of certain experiences that can be communicated in no other way."

"Poetry is the communication through words of certain experiences that can be communicated in no other way."

John Drinkwater, English Poet

Poetry, Communication, Words

36

"Poetry is the deification of reality."

"Poetry is the deification of reality."

Edith Sitwell, British Poet

Poetry, Reality

36

"That is to say, epic poetry has been invented many times and independently; but, as the needs which prompted the invention have been broadly similar, so the invention itself has been."

"That is to say, epic poetry has been invented many times and independently; but, as the needs which prompted the invention have been broadly similar, so the invention itself has been."

Lascelles Abercrombie, British Poet

Poetry, Invention, Needs

36

"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

36

"I have always wanted what I have now come to call the voice of personal narrative. That has always been the appealing voice in poetry. It started for me lyrically in Shakespeare's sonnets."

"I have always wanted what I have now come to call the voice of personal narrative. That has always been the appealing voice in poetry. It started for me lyrically in Shakespeare's sonnets."

Diane Wakoski, American Poet

Poetry, Now, Shakespeare, Voice

36

"Well you can't teach the poetry, but you can teach the craft."

"Well you can't teach the poetry, but you can teach the craft."

David Hockney, English Artist

36

"The mystical poetry of William Blake's artwork also forms the basis for the album cover."

"The mystical poetry of William Blake's artwork also forms the basis for the album cover."

Bruce Dickinson, English Musician

36

"One has only as much morality as one has philosophy and poetry."

"One has only as much morality as one has philosophy and poetry."

Karl Schlegel, German Philosopher

Poetry, Morality, Philosophy

36

"No, what I should really like to do right now, in the full blaze of lights, before this illustrious assembly, is to shower every one of you with gifts, with flowers, with offerings of poetry - to be young once more, to ride on the crest of the wave."

"No, what I should really like to do right now, in the full blaze of lights, before this illustrious assembly, is to shower every one of you with gifts, with flowers, with offerings of poetry - to be young once more, to ride on the crest of the wave."

Knut Hamsun, Norwegian Author

Poetry, Flowers, Gifts, Now

36

"I think Ginsberg has done more harm to the craft that I honor and live by than anybody else by reducing it to a kind of mean that enables the most dubious practitioners to claim they are poets because they think, If the kind of thing Ginsberg does is poetry, I can do that."

"I think Ginsberg has done more harm to the craft that I honor and live by than anybody else by reducing it to a kind of mean that enables the most dubious practitioners to claim they are poets because they think, If the kind of thing Ginsberg does is poetry, I can do that."

James Dickey, American Novelist

Poetry, Harm, Honor, Poets

36

"Poetry is ordinary language raised to the Nth power. Poetry is boned with ideas, nerved and blooded with emotions, all held together by the delicate, tough skin of words."

"Poetry is ordinary language raised to the Nth power. Poetry is boned with ideas, nerved and blooded with emotions, all held together by the delicate, tough skin of words."

Paul Engle, American Poet

Poetry, Power, Ideas, Emotions

36

"In poetry everything which must be said is almost impossible to say well."

"In poetry everything which must be said is almost impossible to say well."

Paul Valery, French Poet

36

"And if they haven't got poetry in them, there's nothing you can do that will produce it."

"And if they haven't got poetry in them, there's nothing you can do that will produce it."

Norman MacCaig, Scottish Poet

Poetry, Nothing, Will

36

"I have always written poetry but I have never applied it to songwriting."

"I have always written poetry but I have never applied it to songwriting."

Janine Turner, American Actress

36

"The quietest poetry can be an explosion of joy."

"The quietest poetry can be an explosion of joy."

James Broughton, American Director

36

"Great poetry needs no interpreter other than a responsive heart."

"Great poetry needs no interpreter other than a responsive heart."

Helen Keller, American Author

Poetry, Emotion, Art, Heart

36

"I like the way words go together and I like the gamesmanship of writing poetry. It is such a challenge."

"I like the way words go together and I like the gamesmanship of writing poetry. It is such a challenge."

Jeffery Deaver, American Writer

Poetry, Challenge, Words, Writing

36

"Poetry is just so emo." he said. "Oh, the pain. The pain. It always rains. In my soul."

"Poetry is just so emo." he said. "Oh, the pain. The pain. It always rains. In my soul."

John Green, American Author

Poetry, Emotion, Pain, Soul

36

"I credit poetry for making this space-walk possible."

"I credit poetry for making this space-walk possible."

Seamus Heaney, Irish Poet

Poetry, Credit, Space

36

"The sort of poetry I seek resides in objects man can't touch."

"The sort of poetry I seek resides in objects man can't touch."

E. M. Forster, English Novelist

36

"Frankly, writing poetry for children is plain old fun, and I consider myself blessed to have such a delightful career."

"Frankly, writing poetry for children is plain old fun, and I consider myself blessed to have such a delightful career."

Jack Prelutsky, American Poet

Poetry, Career, Children, Fun

35

"She was the Judy Garland of American poetry."

"She was the Judy Garland of American poetry."

James Dickey, American Novelist

35

"Whereas with poetry no one has to show anybody really, and you don't have to tell anyone you're doing it."

"Whereas with poetry no one has to show anybody really, and you don't have to tell anyone you're doing it."

Roger McGough, British Poet

35

"And at least in poetry you should feel free to lie. That is, not to lie, but to imagine what you want, to follow the direction of the poem."

"And at least in poetry you should feel free to lie. That is, not to lie, but to imagine what you want, to follow the direction of the poem."

Mark Strand, American Poet

Poetry, Lie, Direction, Want

35

"For me concrete poetry was a particular way of using language which came out of a particular feeling, and I don't have control over whether this feeling is in me or not."

"For me concrete poetry was a particular way of using language which came out of a particular feeling, and I don't have control over whether this feeling is in me or not."

Ian Hamilton Finlay, Scottish Poet

Poetry, Control, Feeling, Language

35

"I've always written, all my life, and when I was very young I developed an interest in poetry."

"I've always written, all my life, and when I was very young I developed an interest in poetry."

Jeffery Deaver, American Writer

Poetry, Life, Interest

35

"In the television age, the key distinction is between the candidate who can speak poetry and the one who can only speak prose."

"In the television age, the key distinction is between the candidate who can speak poetry and the one who can only speak prose."

Richard M. Nixon, American President

Poetry, Age, Key, Prose

35

"Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful."

"Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful."

Rita Dove, American Poet

Poetry, Language

35

"I'm perfectly happy when I look out at an audience and it's all women. I always think it's kind of odd, but then, more women than men, I think, read and write poetry."

"I'm perfectly happy when I look out at an audience and it's all women. I always think it's kind of odd, but then, more women than men, I think, read and write poetry."

Diane Wakoski, American Poet

35

"It's always a combination of physics and poetry that I find inspiring. It's hard to wrap your head around things like the Hubble scope."

"It's always a combination of physics and poetry that I find inspiring. It's hard to wrap your head around things like the Hubble scope."

Tom Hanks, American Actor

Poetry, Inspiring, Physics

35

"Romance like a ghost escapes touching; it is always where you are not, not where you are. The interview or conversation was prose at the time, but it is poetry in the memory."

"Romance like a ghost escapes touching; it is always where you are not, not where you are. The interview or conversation was prose at the time, but it is poetry in the memory."

George William Curtis, American Author

Poetry, Time, Romance, Conversation

35

"Poetry proceeds from the totality of man, sense, imagination, intellect, love, desire, instinct, blood and spirit together."

"Poetry proceeds from the totality of man, sense, imagination, intellect, love, desire, instinct, blood and spirit together."

Jacques Maritain, French Philosopher

Poetry, Imagination, Love, Blood

35

"Poetry is one of the destinies of speech... One would say that the poetic image, in its newness, opens a future to language."

"Poetry is one of the destinies of speech... One would say that the poetic image, in its newness, opens a future to language."

Gaston Bachelard, French Philosopher

Poetry, Future, Language, Speech

35

"Since the printing press came into being, poetry has ceased to be the delight of the whole community of man; it has become the amusement and delight of the few."

"Since the printing press came into being, poetry has ceased to be the delight of the whole community of man; it has become the amusement and delight of the few."

John Masefield, English Poet

Poetry, Amusement, Being, Community

35

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