Poetry Quotes | Beyond Motive 7/13

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Poetry Quotes

"The poetry of heroism appeals irresistibly to those who don't go to a war, and even more to those whom the war is making enormously wealthy. It's always so."

"The poetry of heroism appeals irresistibly to those who don't go to a war, and even more to those whom the war is making enormously wealthy. It's always so."

Louis-Ferdinand Celine, French Writer

Poetry, War, Heroism

2

"In the world of poetry there are would-be poets, workshop poets, promising poets, lovesick poets, university poets, and a few real poets."

"In the world of poetry there are would-be poets, workshop poets, promising poets, lovesick poets, university poets, and a few real poets."

James Broughton, American Director

Poetry, Poets, University, World

2

"If a line of poetry strays into my memory, my skin bristles so that the razor ceases to act."

"If a line of poetry strays into my memory, my skin bristles so that the razor ceases to act."

A. E. Housman, English Poet

Poetry, Act, Memory, Skin

2

"I would say that American poetry has always been a poetry of personal testimony."

"I would say that American poetry has always been a poetry of personal testimony."

Mark Strand, American Poet

2

"Have you ever heard a good joke? If you've ever heard someone just right, with the right pacing, then you're already on the way to poetry. It's about using words in very precise ways and using gesture."

"Have you ever heard a good joke? If you've ever heard someone just right, with the right pacing, then you're already on the way to poetry. It's about using words in very precise ways and using gesture."

Rita Dove, American Poet

Poetry, Right, Words

2

"For a poet to depict a poet in poetry is a hazardous experiment; in regarding one's own trade a sense of humour and a little wholesome cynicism are not amiss."

"For a poet to depict a poet in poetry is a hazardous experiment; in regarding one's own trade a sense of humour and a little wholesome cynicism are not amiss."

Edward Dowden, Irish Critic

Poetry, Cynicism, Sense, Trade

2

"Everything one invents is true, you may be perfectly sure of that. Poetry is as precise as geometry."

"Everything one invents is true, you may be perfectly sure of that. Poetry is as precise as geometry."

Gustave Flaubert, French Novelist

Poetry, Geometry, May

2

"Poetry is simply the most beautiful, impressive, and widely effective mode of saying things."

"Poetry is simply the most beautiful, impressive, and widely effective mode of saying things."

Matthew Arnold, English Poet

2

"When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses."

"When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses."

John F. Kennedy, American President

Poetry, Power, Arrogance, Concern

2

"Poetry is a mere drug, Sir."

"Poetry is a mere drug, Sir."

George Farquhar, Irish Dramatist

2

"My mother asked me what I wanted for my birthday, so I said I wanted to read poetry with her."

"My mother asked me what I wanted for my birthday, so I said I wanted to read poetry with her."

Guy Johnson, American Poet

Poetry, Birthday, Mother

2

"The arts generally have had to recognize Modernism - how should poetry escape?"

"The arts generally have had to recognize Modernism - how should poetry escape?"

John C. Ransom, American Poet

2

"Some people swear by writing courses, but whether it really helps American poetry, I have doubts."

"Some people swear by writing courses, but whether it really helps American poetry, I have doubts."

Robert Morgan, American Soldier

Poetry, People, Writing

2

"It is a way we reassess our past. We can do that in poetry in ways we can't do in prose."

"It is a way we reassess our past. We can do that in poetry in ways we can't do in prose."

Peter Davison, British Actor

Poetry, Past, Prose

2

"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

2

"Poets are Damned... but See with the Eyes of Angels."

"Poets are Damned... but See with the Eyes of Angels."

Allen Ginsberg, American Poet

Poetry, Angels, Eyes, Poets

2

"Poet. To mask the fiery thought, in simple words succeeds. For still the craft of genius is, To mask a king in weeds."

"Poet. To mask the fiery thought, in simple words succeeds. For still the craft of genius is, To mask a king in weeds."

Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Poet

Poetry, Thought, Words, Genius

2

"While I've had a great distaste for what's usually called song in modern poetry or for what's usually called music, I really don't think of speech as so far from song."

"While I've had a great distaste for what's usually called song in modern poetry or for what's usually called music, I really don't think of speech as so far from song."

David Antin, American Poet

Poetry, Music, Song, Speech

2

"Poetry is not an expression of the party line. It's that time of night, lying in bed, thinking what you really think, making the private world public, that's what the poet does."

"Poetry is not an expression of the party line. It's that time of night, lying in bed, thinking what you really think, making the private world public, that's what the poet does."

Allen Ginsberg, American Poet

Poetry, Time, Bed, Expression

2

"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

2

"I definitely wish to distinguish American poetry from British or other English language poetry."

"I definitely wish to distinguish American poetry from British or other English language poetry."

Diane Wakoski, American Poet

Poetry, English, Language

2

"And yet, in a culture like ours, which is given to material comforts, and addicted to forms of entertainment that offer immediate gratification, it is surprising that so much poetry is written."

"And yet, in a culture like ours, which is given to material comforts, and addicted to forms of entertainment that offer immediate gratification, it is surprising that so much poetry is written."

Mark Strand, American Poet

Poetry, Culture, Entertainment

2

"I was in Paris at an English-language bookstore. I picked up a volume of Dickinson's poetry. I came back to my hotel, read 2,000 of her poems and immediately began composing in my head. I wrote down the melodies even before I got to a piano."

"I was in Paris at an English-language bookstore. I picked up a volume of Dickinson's poetry. I came back to my hotel, read 2,000 of her poems and immediately began composing in my head. I wrote down the melodies even before I got to a piano."

Gordon Getty, American Businessman

Poetry, English, Paris, Poems

2

"Poetry should be able to reach everybody, and it should be able to appeal to all levels of understanding."

"Poetry should be able to reach everybody, and it should be able to appeal to all levels of understanding."

Peter Davison, British Actor

Poetry, Understanding

2

"Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks."

"Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks."

Plutarch, Greek Philosopher

Poetry, Painting

2

"We are looking to brands for poetry and for spirituality, because we're not getting those things from our communities or from each other."

"We are looking to brands for poetry and for spirituality, because we're not getting those things from our communities or from each other."

Naomi Klein, Canadian Journalist

Poetry, Spirituality

2

"The poetic notion of infinity is far greater than that which is sponsored by any creed."

"The poetic notion of infinity is far greater than that which is sponsored by any creed."

Joseph Brodsky, American Poet

Poetry, Infinity

2

"To know anything of a poet but his poetry is, so far as the poetry is concerned, to know something that may be entertaining, even delightful, but is certainly inessential."

"To know anything of a poet but his poetry is, so far as the poetry is concerned, to know something that may be entertaining, even delightful, but is certainly inessential."

John Drinkwater, English Poet

2

"There is an urgent need for Americans to look deeply into themselves and their actions, and musical poetry is perhaps the most effective mirror available. Every newspaper headline is a potential song."

"There is an urgent need for Americans to look deeply into themselves and their actions, and musical poetry is perhaps the most effective mirror available. Every newspaper headline is a potential song."

Phil Ochs, American Musician

Poetry, Actions, Americans, Potential

2

"Poetry does not consist of words alone; there must be sentiment and fancy, combination and arrangement."

"Poetry does not consist of words alone; there must be sentiment and fancy, combination and arrangement."

Samuel Prout, English Artist

Poetry, Fancy, Sentiment, Words

2

"I believe that all poetry is formal in that it exists within limits, limits that are either inherited by tradition or limits that language itself imposes."

"I believe that all poetry is formal in that it exists within limits, limits that are either inherited by tradition or limits that language itself imposes."

Mark Strand, American Poet

Poetry, Language, Limits, Tradition

2

"Justice is not Healing. Healing cometh only by suffering and patience, and maketh no demand, not even for Justice. Justice worketh only within the bonds of things as they are... and therefore though Justice is itself good and desireth no further evil, it can but perpetuate the evil that was, and doth not prevent it from the bearing of fruit in sorrow."

"Justice is not Healing. Healing cometh only by suffering and patience, and maketh no demand, not even for Justice. Justice worketh only within the bonds of things as they are... and therefore though Justice is itself good and desireth no further evil, it can but perpetuate the evil that was, and doth not prevent it from the bearing of fruit in sorrow."

J. R. R. Tolkien, English Novelist

Poetry, Peace, Beauty, Truth, Hope

2

"All good poetry is forged slowly and patiently, link by link, with sweat and blood and tears."

"All good poetry is forged slowly and patiently, link by link, with sweat and blood and tears."

Alfred Douglas, English Poet

Poetry, Blood, Tears

2

"A poet is an unpaid laborer of a mine where he digs into the mountain to find rough diamonds. He then polishes them with his imagination and emotion to share with everyone."

"A poet is an unpaid laborer of a mine where he digs into the mountain to find rough diamonds. He then polishes them with his imagination and emotion to share with everyone."

Debasish Mridha, American Author

Poetry, Creativity, Imagination, Emotion

2

"I think that's what poetry does. It allows people to come together and identify with a common thing that is outside of themselves, but which they identify with from the interior."

"I think that's what poetry does. It allows people to come together and identify with a common thing that is outside of themselves, but which they identify with from the interior."

Diane Wakoski, American Poet

2

"True poetry is similar to certain pictures whose owner is unknown and which only a few initiated people know."

"True poetry is similar to certain pictures whose owner is unknown and which only a few initiated people know."

Eugenio Montale, Italian Poet

2

"I'm quite sure that most writers would sustain real poetry if they could, but it takes devotion and talent."

"I'm quite sure that most writers would sustain real poetry if they could, but it takes devotion and talent."

Marguerite Young, American Author

Poetry, Talent, Devotion, Writers

2

"Writing criticism is to writing fiction and poetry as hugging the shore is to sailing in the open sea."

"Writing criticism is to writing fiction and poetry as hugging the shore is to sailing in the open sea."

John Updike, American Novelist

Poetry, Criticism, Fiction, Open

2

"Freedom is poetry, taking liberties with words, breaking the rules of normal speech, violating common sense. Freedom is violence."

"Freedom is poetry, taking liberties with words, breaking the rules of normal speech, violating common sense. Freedom is violence."

Norman O. Brown, American Philosopher

Poetry, Commonsense, Freedom, Rules

2

"It should here be added that poetry habitually takes the form of verse."

"It should here be added that poetry habitually takes the form of verse."

John Drinkwater, English Poet

2

"I've got a book of poetry by the bed, one of these big collections that goes back to the Greeks and Romans."

"I've got a book of poetry by the bed, one of these big collections that goes back to the Greeks and Romans."

Martin C. Smith, American Journalist

2

"There are so many things that poetry is about, one of which is memory."

"There are so many things that poetry is about, one of which is memory."

Peter Davison, British Actor

2

"Poetry should... should strike the reader as a wording of his own highest thoughts, and appear almost a remembrance."

"Poetry should... should strike the reader as a wording of his own highest thoughts, and appear almost a remembrance."

John Keats, English Poet

Poetry, Thoughts, Remembrance

2

"I believe that the short story is as different a form from the novel as poetry is, and the best stories seem to me to be perhaps closer in spirit to poetry than to novels."

"I believe that the short story is as different a form from the novel as poetry is, and the best stories seem to me to be perhaps closer in spirit to poetry than to novels."

Tobias Wolff, American Writer

2

"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

2

"The first function of poetry is to tell the truth, to learn how to do that, to find out what you really feel and what you really think."

"The first function of poetry is to tell the truth, to learn how to do that, to find out what you really feel and what you really think."

June Jordan, American Writer

Poetry, Truth, First

2

"But I don't think that poetry is a good, to use a contemporary word, venue, for current events."

"But I don't think that poetry is a good, to use a contemporary word, venue, for current events."

Diane Wakoski, American Poet

Poetry, Events, Word

2

"I've done a number of readings at poetry lounges in Vancouver and Los Angeles. I've compiled a book of poetry that's completed, and two others I'm working on."

"I've done a number of readings at poetry lounges in Vancouver and Los Angeles. I've compiled a book of poetry that's completed, and two others I'm working on."

Corin Nemec, American Actor

2

"Thinking in its lower grades, is comparable to paper money, and in its higher forms it is a kind of poetry."

"Thinking in its lower grades, is comparable to paper money, and in its higher forms it is a kind of poetry."

Henry Ellis, British Psychologist

Poetry, Money, Thinking

2

"Poetry was invented as an mnemonic device to enable people to remember their prayers."

"Poetry was invented as an mnemonic device to enable people to remember their prayers."

Peter Davison, British Actor

2

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