Poetry is a pure meritocracy. There's no room for ambiguity: either a poem moves you and opens up new vistas in life, or it doesn't. It's completely objective, and the best always rise to the top. Jim Goetz ambiguitycompletelylife Change image and share on social
The higher Greek poetry did not make up fictitious plots; its business was to express the heroic saga, the myths. Gilbert Murray businessexpressfictitious Change image and share on social
I know some people might think it odd - unworthy even - for me to have written a cookbook, but I make no apologies. The U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins thought I had demeaned myself by writing poetry for Hallmark Cards, but I am the people's poet so I write for the people. Maya Angelou apologybillycard share on social
Alchemy is the art of far and near, and I think poetry is alchemy in that way. It's delightful to distort size, to see something that's tiny as though it were vast. Robert Morgan alchemyartdelightful Change image and share on social
Shakespeare is rhythmic; he is musical in the sense that he likes poetry, and he's musical because he constantly refers to settings where there's singing and dancing. Kenneth Branagh constantlydancelike Change image and share on social
It's like I understand images and some people understand poetry. Samantha Morton imagepeoplepoetry Change image and share on social
By definition, poetry works with qualities and dynamics that mainstream society is reluctant to face head-on. It's an interesting phenomenon that by necessity, poetry is just below the radar. David Whyte definitiondynamicface Change image and share on social
Women are treated as unjustly in poetry as in life. The feminine ones are not idealistic, and the idealistic not feminine. Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel feminineidealisticlife Change image and share on social
I was writing poetry, and the Mountain Goats was an outgrowth of that. John Darnielle goatmountainoutgrowth Change image and share on social
The Bible is very resonant. It has everything: creation, betrayal, lust, poetry, prophecy, sacrifice. All great things are in the Bible, and all great writers have drawn from it and more than people realise, whether Shakespeare, Herman Melville or Bob Dylan. Patti Smith betrayalbiblebob share on social
