Top 472 Poetry Quotes

The novel has always been a contradictory form. Here is a long form narrative mainly read originally by consumers who were only newly literate or limited in their literacy. The novel ranked below poetry, essay and history in prestige for a long time.

Matthew Pearl

A poet is a nightingale, who sits in darkness and sings to cheer its own solitude with sweet sounds.

A poet is a nightingale, who sits in darkness and sings to cheer its own solitude with sweet sounds.

Percy Bysshe Shelley

Verse in itself does not constitute poetry. Verse is only an elegant vestment for a beautiful form. Poetry can express itself in prose, but it does so more perfectly under the grace and majesty of verse. It is poetry of soul that inspires noble sentiments and noble actions as well as noble writings.

Victor Hugo

I realised I'd spent a lot of time in my poetry trying to find a way of talking about that whereof we cannot speak.

I realised I'd spent a lot of time in my poetry trying to find a way of talking about that whereof we cannot speak.

John Burnside

On a practical level, poetry isn't something anybody has really made a great living at. I might sell some books and, once in a while, someone might pay to hear me read.

On a practical level, poetry isn't something anybody has really made a great living at. I might sell some books and, once in a while, someone might pay to hear me read.

Viggo Mortensen

Poetry is emotion put into measure. The emotion must come by nature, but the measure can be acquired by art.

Poetry is emotion put into measure. The emotion must come by nature, but the measure can be acquired by art.

Thomas Hardy

I learned to impersonate the kind of person that talks about poetry. It comes from teaching, I think.

I learned to impersonate the kind of person that talks about poetry. It comes from teaching, I think.

Robert Morgan

Poetry is one of the few nasty childhood habits I've managed to grow out of.

Poetry is one of the few nasty childhood habits I've managed to grow out of.

Tom Holt

I certainly derived my skills as a prose writer from my scrutiny of poetry and of the individual word. But schools don't do things like that anymore - tracking words down to their roots.

I certainly derived my skills as a prose writer from my scrutiny of poetry and of the individual word. But schools don't do things like that anymore - tracking words down to their roots.

Camille Paglia

You can find poetry in your everyday life, your memory, in what people say on the bus, in the news, or just what's in your heart.

You can find poetry in your everyday life, your memory, in what people say on the bus, in the news, or just what's in your heart.

Carol Ann Duffy

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