The job of the poet is to render the world—to see it and report it without loss, without perversion. No poet ever talks about feelings. Only sentimental people do.
—Mark Van Doren (1894–1972) American Poet, Writer, Critic
I don’t know a better preparation for life than a love of poetry and a good digestion.
—Zona Gale (1874–1938) American Novelist, Story Writer, Dramatist
Poetry should surprise by a fine excess and not by singularity—it should strike the reader as a wording of his own highest thoughts, and appear almost a remembrance.
—John Keats (1795–1821) English Poet
Poetry is an art, and chief of the fine art; the easiest to dabble in, the hardest in which to reach true excellence.
—Edmund Clarence Stedman (1833–1908) American Poet, Critic
A person born with an instinct for poverty.
—Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American Writer, Publisher, Artist, Philosopher
Writing free verse is like playing tennis with the net down.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
I have written some poetry that I don’t understand myself.
—Carl Sandburg (1878–1967) American Biographer, Novelist, Socialist
That willing suspension of disbelief for the moment, which constitutes poetic faith.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) English Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher
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 we have personality and emotion know what it means to want to escape from these things.
—T. S. Eliot (1888–1965) American-British Poet, Dramatist, Literary Critic
Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems.
—Rainer Maria Rilke (1875–1926) Austrian Poet
Here undoubtedly lies the chief poetic energy:—in the force of imagination that pierces or exalts the solid fact, instead of floating among cloud-pictures.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
I wish our clever young poets would remember my homely definitions of prose and poetry; that is, prose = words in their best order;—poetry = the best words in the best order.
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834) English Poet, Literary Critic, Philosopher
With me poetry has not been a purpose, but a passion.
—Edgar Allan Poe (1809–49) American Poet
Poetry should be great and unobtrusive, a thing which enters into one’s soul, and does not startle it or amaze it with itself, but with its subject.
—John Keats (1795–1821) English Poet
I would as soon write free verse as play tennis with the net down.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
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 (1926–97) American Poet, Activist
A poet’s pleasure is to withhold a little of his meaning, to intensify by mystification. He unzips the veil from beauty, but does not remove it.
—E. B. White (1985–99) American Essayist, Humorist
Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance.
—Carl Sandburg (1878–1967) American Biographer, Novelist, Socialist
A poem begins in delight and ends in wisdom.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
Poetry is indispensable—if I only knew what for.
—Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) French Poet, Playwright, Film Director
Immature poets imitate, mature poets steal.
—Philip Massinger (1583–1640) English Playwright
But all art is sensual and poetry particularly so. It is directly, that is, of the senses, and since the senses do not exist without an object for their employment all art is necessarily objective. It doesn’t declaim or explain, it presents.
—William Carlos Williams (1883–1963) American Poet, Novelist, Cultural Historian
You will not find poetry anywhere unless you bring some of it with you.
—Joseph Joubert (1754–1824) French Writer, Moralist
Verses which do not teach men new and moving truths do not deserve to be read.
—Voltaire (1694–1778) French Philosopher, Author
All one’s inventions are true, you can be sure of that. Poetry is as exact a science as geometry.
—Gustave Flaubert (1821–80) French Novelist, Playwright, Short Story Writer
A beautiful line of verse has twelve feet, and two wings.
—Jules Renard (1864–1910) French Writer, Diarist
Such is the role of poetry. It unveils, in the strict sense of the word. It lays bare, under a light which shakes off torpor, the surprising things which surround us and which our senses record mechanically.
—Jean Cocteau (1889–1963) French Poet, Playwright, Film Director
Poetry is a mere drug, Sir.
—George Farquhar (1677–1707) Irish Dramatist
The courage of the poets is to keep ajar the door that leads into madness.
—Christopher Morley (1890–1957) American Novelist, Journalist, Poet, Essayist
Poetry is the exquisite expression of exquisite expressions.
—Philibert Joseph Roux (1780–1854) French Surgeon
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