Poetry is an antidote to the poison-level at which we often consent to live.
--Penelope Shuttle
Poetry has to a large degree resumed its 19th-century role as a comfort and consolation, a retreat from the rigors of the world.
--Adam Kirsch
Poetry provides comfort precisely by going straight to the most painful spot.
--Cheryl Gatling
The real horrors are so horrible that only minority pastimes like poetry will take them on.
--William Scammell
The ultimate function of the poet is to praise. It may have taken someone like Dante the long pilgrimage through the Inferno and the Purgatorio to get up to the praising point but nevertheless that is the end vision.
--John Montague
Poetry, in its seeking and questing, in its notice and naming, is one means of giving praise.
--Pattiann Rogers
Writing is an extreme form of happiness.
--Tom Paulin
The poet is like a mouse in an enormous cheese excited by how much cheese there is to eat.
Czeslaw Milosz
In a way, all poetry is love poetry because it’s about praising the world. Even if it appears to be negative, it is praising what’s absent. It’s lamenting that something isn’t the case, it has praise in its sights.
--Robert Gray
If you go too far toward affirmation then you risk losing the brutal, historic reality. But then, if you limit yourself to describing the ugliness of history and societal life, there’s no poetry at all.
--Adam Zagajewski
A good poem (with the exception of light verse, parodies, et cetera) has some sort of pain or moral urgency behind it that has compelled its writer into expression.
--Helen Vendler
We should write out of grief, but not grievance. Grief is rich, ecstatic. But grievance is not—it’s a complaint, it’s whining.
--Li-Young Lee
Good literature…doesn’t evade any of the terrible things in life. It faces them and face them squarely, but puts them in a context for which they have a richer meaning than they would as simply raw, descriptive facts.
--Anthony Hecht
Poetry that says yes has to swallow great goblets of darkness; and poetry that says no has to say no in the face of the fact that there must be reasons why the poet has chosen to continue to live in order to say it.
--Robert Hass
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These quotes about poetry are excerpted from Dennis O'Driscoll's book, Quote Poet Unquote: Contemporary Quotations on Poets and Poetry, Copper Canyon Press, Port Townsend, Washington, 2008.
For more poetry quotes, and to join the Poetry Quotes group, go here:
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Comments: 46
Yay Poetry !!! YAY !!!
Yay, Peter! Thanks for commenting.
Yea Alison and Peter and Poetry...
Poetry provides comfort precisely by going straight to the most painful spot.
--Cheryl Gatling
The one that holds ever true for me and my world~
All of them are purrfectly poetic =)
Thanks for commenting, PGDNNYS.
Poetry praises, but not always. It is like saying cannibalism is the eater wanting to be close to his dinner, not always true, if in fact, true at all.
You're right, Bunny! That's why I like John Montague's quote, especially. And some of the other poets here would agree with you.
Great quotes. I especially love the last one.
Thanks, Marge. That is quite a potent quote, isn't it?
Poetry rocks. Where would the world be without it?
Good question, David. Though a lot of people seem to do fine without poetry in their lives. Not me!
Even those who deny the benifit of poetry sing songs, and what are they but poetry put to music.
That is quite true...good point!
It has been such a pleasure to join with so many writers and poets and lovers of word here on Gather.
I love the John Montague's quote. You have a regular mail.
hug the memories
Thanks much, Kushal.
poetry is spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings recollected in tranquility said wordswoth so poetry must console
Many poems do play that role, Ashok.
Poetry is a way of saying something in a way that it is not ignored.
Many people do ignore poetry.....but I understand what you are saying. It is somewhat similar to what Anthony Hecht says, above.
Somewhat, but he speaks of the terrible things in life, and in more detail. My comment is a vast oversimplification. I agree many do ignore poetry, but the same "truth" or observation which in prose would tend to be ignored seems to get more attention when expressed in poetry, in my observation.
I agree, John. An idea or observation or "truth" can be looked at in a new way or boiled down to its essence in poetry.
Poetry allows us to say what we might not otherwise be able to.
Interesting article Alison, made me stop and ponder for a bit : - )
I agree, Katherine, and thanks for commenting.
These are excellent...I like Vendler's, Mliosz the best.
Featured in the The Triple Name Club
Thanks for commenting, Kathryn.
"poetry wont bring you the news but people die terrible deaths daily for the lack of it in their lives"
e.e. cummings
and thank you Alison for bringing all that poetry to my life
and more
Very apropos quote, Sigal!
And you're welcome!
A plethora of amazing quotes, Alison!!!
This is my favorite:
Poetry has to a large degree resumed its 19th-century role as a comfort and consolation, a retreat from the rigors of the world.
--Adam Kirsch
Thanks so much, Marianne!
Ah, the healing power of poetry! What a wonderful selection of quotes!!
Thank you, Lawrence, glad you liked the quotes!
This is a great selection of quotes, writing poetry and reading does help the hurting heart and soul.
thanks for sharing these with us
10 4 u
Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history. ~ Plato
Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason. ~ Novalis (Georg Philipp Friedrich Freiherr von Hardenberg)
Poetry is the journal of the sea animal living on land, wanting to fly in the air. Poetry is a search for syllables to shoot at the barriers of the unknown and the unknowable. Poetry is a phantom script telling how rainbows are made and why they go away.
~ Carl Sandburg
Hi, Alison! hope you don't mind me posting these quotes in this fashion. Just thought it would be fun in a "found" sort of way.
Fabulous, Mustafa! Thank you for adding to the topic.
What fun - This is my favorite - Writing is an extreme form of happiness.
Wonderful words!
I'm a big fan of the copper canyon press. Their books are nicely-done, and their authors are great!
The quote I can most relate to:
"A good poem (with the exception of light verse, parodies, et cetera) has some sort of pain or moral urgency behind it that has compelled its writer into expression."
--Helen Vendler
Fascinating quotes. Thanks.
A wonderful collection of quotes to read, meditate on, and share.