Top 472 Poetry Quotes

The iambic pentameter owes its pre-eminence in English poetry to its genius for variation. Good blank verse does not sound like a series of identically measured lines. It sounds like a series of subtle variations on the same theme.

James Fenton

I was excited by what my painter friends were doing, and they seemed to be interested in our poetry too, and that was a wonderful little, fizzy sort of world.

I was excited by what my painter friends were doing, and they seemed to be interested in our poetry too, and that was a wonderful little, fizzy sort of world.

Kenneth Koch

Humour is a fine line to walk in poetry, as in fiction. I just think it's harder to write. It's harder to keep the respect of the reader too.

Humour is a fine line to walk in poetry, as in fiction. I just think it's harder to write. It's harder to keep the respect of the reader too.

George Murray

The arts generally have had to recognize Modernism - how should poetry escape?

The arts generally have had to recognize Modernism - how should poetry escape?

John Crowe Ransom

Poetry is a lousy form of activism; it doesn't really change much. And maybe we can point to one or two historical times when a poem has started a revolution or a rebellion or an uprising, but it doesn't happen that often, and if you put the number of poems next to the number of political acts, it would be pretty slim.

Daphne Gottlieb

I read pretty eclectically - fiction, non-fiction, and poetry - and I've been inspired and influenced by a number of writers.

I read pretty eclectically - fiction, non-fiction, and poetry - and I've been inspired and influenced by a number of writers.

Barry Eisler

Poets should ignore most criticism and get on with making poetry.

Poets should ignore most criticism and get on with making poetry.

Anne Stevenson

Irish poetry has lost the ready ear and the comforts of recognition. But we must go on. We must be true to our own minds.

Irish poetry has lost the ready ear and the comforts of recognition. But we must go on. We must be true to our own minds.

Austin Clarke

Besides the actual reading in class of many poems, I would suggest you do two things: first, while teaching everything you can and keeping free of it, teach that poetry is a mode of discourse that differs from logical exposition.

A. R. Ammons

I used to joke that if acting didn't work out, poetry was my commonsense fallback.

I used to joke that if acting didn't work out, poetry was my commonsense fallback.

Merritt Wever

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