Any reflection about poetry should begin, or end, with this question: who and how many read poetry books? Octavio Paz beginbookend Change image and share on social
Poetry helps me understand who I am. It helps me understand the world around me. But above all, what poetry has taught me is the fact that I need to embrace mystery in order to be completely human. Yusef Komunyakaa completelyembracefact Change image and share on social
It is my belief that many who think they dislike poetry are really poetical in their natures and are indebted to it, more than they imagine, for the success they may have achieved, even in practical pursuits, and for the enjoyment their lives have afforded them. Orson F. Whitney achieveaffordbelief share on social
In politics, as in poetry, it is sometimes true that it is darkest before dawn. Lawrence Summers darkdawnpoetry Change image and share on social
I've often said that all poetry is political. This is because real poems deal with a human response to reality and politics is part of reality, history in the making. Even if a poet writes about sitting in a glass house drinking tea, it reflects politics. Yehuda Amichai dealdrinkglass share on social
With several different kinds of poetry to choose from, a man would decide that he would like best to be an epic poet, and he would set out, in conscious determination, on an epic poem. Lascelles Abercrombie chooseconsciousdecide Change image and share on social
A poet can survive everything but a misprint. Oscar Wilde misprintpoetsurvive Change image and share on social
Fiction is supposed to be immersive and supposed to be entertaining and narrative, so structures have to be buried a little bit. If they come foregrounded too much, it stops being fiction and starts being poetry - something more concrete and out of time. Eleanor Catton biteburyconcrete share on social
The idea that a poem was a made thing stayed with me, and I decided then that I wanted to be an artist, not just a diarist. So I put myself through a kind of apprenticeship in writing poetry, and I understood even then that my practice as a poet was deeply related to my reading. Edward Hirsch apprenticeshipartistdecide share on social
I thought to spend my declining years writing poetry and teaching - but that won't pay the Bergdorf's bill. I think I'll move to somewhere life is cheaper. Erica Jong bergdorfbillcheap Change image and share on social
