In a manner of speaking, the poem is its own knower, neither poet nor reader knowing anything that the poem says apart from the words of the poem. Allen Tate knowknowermanner Change image and share on social
A poem may be an instance of morality, of social conditions, of psychological history; it may instance all its qualities, but never one of them alone, nor any two or three; never less than all. Allen Tate conditionhistoryinstance Change image and share on social
There is probably nothing wrong with art for art's sake if we take the phrase seriously, and not take it to mean the kind of poetry written in England forty years ago. Allen Tate agoartengland Change image and share on social
We know the particular poem, not what it says that we can restate. Allen Tate poemrestate Change image and share on social
What is the poem, after it is written? That is the question. Not where it came from or why. Allen Tate poemquestionwrite Change image and share on social
According to its doctors, my one intransigent desire is to have been a Confederate general, and because I could not or would not become anything else, I set up for poet and beg an to invent fictions about the personal ambitions that my society has no use for. Allen Tate ambitionbegconfederate share on social