In my own work, I usually revise through forty or fifty drafts of a poem before I begin to feel content with it. Other poets take longer.
Poetry Quotes
He who, in an enlightened and literary society, aspires to be a great poet, must first become a little child.
Poets as we know have always made a great use of alliteration. They are persuaded that the repetition of a sound give an effect of beauty. I do not think it does in prose. It seems to me that in prose alliteration should be used only for a special reason; when used by accident it […]
We have more poets than judges and interpreters of poetry. It is easier to write an indifferent poem than to understand a good one.
Here is Robert Frost, last of the antiques, celebrating the inauguration of old-fashioned high-binder John F. Kennedy: Some poor fool has been saying in his heart Glory is out of date in life and art. Our venture in revolution and outlawry Has justified itself in freedom’s story Right down to now in glory upon glory. […]
I am not sure, once a poet has found out what has been written already, and how it was written – once, in short, he has learnt his trade – that he should bother with literature at all. Poetry is not like surgery, a technique that can be copied. Every operation the poet performs is […]
Do not ever read books about versification: no poet ever learnt it that way. If you are going to be a poet, it will come to you naturally and you will pick up all you need from reading poetry.
You will not find poetry anywhere unless you bring some of it with you.
I can’t understand these chaps who go round American universities explaining how they write poems. It’s like going round explaining how you sleep with your wife.
A poem is no place for an idea.
