It wasn't a deliberate decision to become a poet. It was something I found myself doing - and loving. Language became an addiction. Yusef Komunyakaa addictiondecisiondeliberate Change image and share on social
I like what Oliver Lakes does on the saxophone. The saxophone comes pretty close to the sound of the human voice and when Oliver plays with other sax players, it's like a dialogue. Yusef Komunyakaa closedialoguehuman Change image and share on social
I'm uncomfortable with the focus on the poet and not on the poem. Yusef Komunyakaa focuspoempoet Change image and share on social
Students often have such a lofty idea of what a poem is, and I want them to realize that their own lives are where the poetry comes from. The most important things are to respect the language; to know the classical rules, even if only to break them; and to be prepared to edit, to revise, to shape. Yusef Komunyakaa breakclassicaledit share on social
Poets are seen as the caretakers of language, so working with words no matter what the form is what we do. Yusef Komunyakaa caretakerformlanguage Change image and share on social
I excavate history. I look at lives buried under too much silence. Periods of time, like slavery, have to be revisited, reimagined, so we can move through them. Yusef Komunyakaa buryexcavatehistory Change image and share on social
I see many black males grasping for some thread of hope. There are so many destructive practices, glimpses into a psychic abyss. That must be very frightening. Yusef Komunyakaa abyssblackdestructive Change image and share on social