Poetry criticism at its worst today is mean in spirit and spiteful in intent, as if determined to inflict the wound that will spur the artist to new heights if it does not cripple him or her. David Lehman artistbadcripple Change image and share on social
Poetry endures when it possesses passionate and primally sincere clarity in the service of articulating universal human concerns. Franz Wright articulateclarityconcern Change image and share on social
Poetry, especially traditional Iranian poetry, is very good at looking at things from a number of different angles simultaneously. Asghar Farhadi anglegoodiranian Change image and share on social
Poetry, even when apparently most fantastic, is always a revolt against artifice, a revolt, in a sense, against actuality. James Joyce actualityapparentlyartifice Change image and share on social
Poetry, fiction as novels or short stories - these are autonomous as created by their authors. They should stand on their own, like pieces of furniture that should be judged as to their usefulness, elegance. F. Sionil Jose authorautonomouscreate share on social
Poetry, first and foremost, is the lyric. It's the music. Robin Coste Lewis foremostlyricmusic Change image and share on social
Poetry for me is as much a spiritual practice as sexual ecstasy is. James Broughton ecstasypoetrypractice Change image and share on social
Poetry, for me, is the answer to, 'How does one stay sane when private lives are being ransacked by public events?' It's something that hangs over your head all the time. Lisel Mueller answereventhang Change image and share on social
Poetry for me is very easy. It's like a lightning bolt. I feel this calling, and the first line of the poem comes into my head, and I just have to go to the page, to the typewriter, to the computer or whatever and write it. Gioconda Belli boltcallcomputer share on social
Poetry from the bottom up is an act of selection: you kind of feel your way through the crowds of poems. The good ones came forward a long time ago, and the bad ones fell away. Eileen Myles actagobad Change image and share on social
