So, poetry becomes a means for useful dialogue between people who are not only unknown, but mute to each other. It produces a dialogue among people that guards all of us against manipulation by our so-called leaders. June Jordan calldialogueguard share on social
Poetry is something that happens in universities, in creative writing programs or in English departments. Mark Strand creativedepartmentenglish 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
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
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
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
I see poetry as a path toward new understanding and transformation, and so I've looked at specific poems I love, and at poetry's gestures in the broadest sense, in an effort to feel and learn what they offer from the inside. Jane Hirshfield broadeffortfeel share on social
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 consumercontradictoryessay share on social
A poet is a nightingale, who sits in darkness and sings to cheer its own solitude with sweet sounds. Percy Bysshe Shelley cheerdarknessnightingale Change image and share on social
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 actionbeautifulconstitute share on social