I like the machinery of poems, especially when they have human warmth. Edward Hirsch humanmachinerypoem Change image and share on social
I believe in rooting poems in actual places, even if you move into some other extraordinary realm. Edward Hirsch actualextraordinarymove Change image and share on social
Throughout his work, Philip Levine's most powerful commitment has been to the failed and lost, the marginal, the unloved, the unwanted. Edward Hirsch commitmentfaillevine Change image and share on social
I aspire to a poetry of great formal integrity, deep passion and high intellect, and I have many models for how to do that. Edward Hirsch aspiredeepformal Change image and share on social
When poetry separates from song, then the words have to carry all the rhythm themselves; they have to do all the work. They can't rely on the singing voice. Edward Hirsch carrypoetryrely Change image and share on social
The line is a way of framing poetry. All verse is measured by lines. The poetic line immediately announces its difference from everyday speech and prose. Edward Hirsch announcedifferenceeveryday Change image and share on social
Poetry is meant to inspire readers and listeners, to connect them more deeply to themselves even as it links them more fully to others. But many people feel put off by the terms of poetry, its odd vocabulary, its notorious difficulty. Edward Hirsch connectdeeplydifficulty share on social
I find great consolation in having a lot of poetry books around. I believe that writing poetry and reading it are deeply intertwined. I've always delighted in the company of the poets I've read. Edward Hirsch bookcompanyconsolation Change image and share on social
The sense of flowing, which is so crucial to song, is also crucial to poetry. Edward Hirsch crucialflowpoetry Change image and share on social
I found a comfort in trying to solve some poetic problems because there were human ones I just couldn't solve. Edward Hirsch comfortfindhuman Change image and share on social
