Each word bears its weight, so you have to read my poems quite slowly. Anne Stevenson bearpoemread Change image and share on social
I play with language a great deal in my poems, and I enjoy that. I try to condense language, that is, I try to express complicated but I hope real emotions as simply as possible. But that doesn't mean the poems are simple, just that they are as truthful as I can make them. Anne Stevenson complicatecondensedeal share on social
Yes, I do often write poems from the mind, but I hope I don't ignore feelings and emotions. Anne Stevenson emotionfeelinghope Change image and share on social
I'm not really quiet or shy. Ask any of my friends! But I always ground my poetry in life itself. Poetry is an art of language, though, so I am always aware of every word's meaning, or multiple meanings. Anne Stevenson artawarefriend share on social
Many varieties of sonnet, of course, have been written over the ages. Anne Stevenson agesonnetvariety Change image and share on social
Looking back at it now, any objective account of my life is bound to read like a cross between 'The Wife of Bath's Tale' and a travel brochure. Anne Stevenson accountbackbath Change image and share on social
I remain loyal to Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert in music and to Shakespeare and Jane Austen in literature. Anne Stevenson austenbachbeethoven Change image and share on social
I write, or used to write, to explain to myself situations I couldn't otherwise solve or understand. Meditation comes very naturally to me. Anne Stevenson explainmeditationnaturally Change image and share on social
Blake has always been a favorite, the lyrics, not so much the prophetic books, but I suppose Yeats influenced me more as a young poet, and the American, Robert Frost. Anne Stevenson americanblakebook Change image and share on social
I did know Ted Hughes and I partly wrote the book to explain to myself and others the complexities of a marriage that was for six years wonderfully productive of poetry and then ended in tragedy. Anne Stevenson bookcomplexityend Change image and share on social
