The characteristick quality of his poem is sublimity. He sometimes descends to the elegant, but his element is the great. He can occasionally invest himself with grace; but his natural port is gigantick loftiness. He can please when pleasure is required, but it is his peculiar power to astonish.
Poetry Quotes
When power leads man towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the areas of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses. For art establishes the basic human truth which must serve as the touchstone of our judgment.
Poetry is not made out of the understanding. The question of common sense is always, “What is it good for?” A question would abolish a rose, and be triumphantly answered by the cabbage.
Knowledge of the subject is to the poet what durable materials are to the architect.
Poetry is probably the one field of writing in which it is a mistake to try to psych out editors. In fact, specific marketing advice can sometimes harm the novice poet by enticing him to pursue fashions. The poet’s best hope is to sound like nobody else, The finest, most enduring poetry constructs a marketplace […]
Hebrew poetry comprises almost 50% of the Old Testament. Hebrew poetry differs from English poetry in that the emphasis is on parallel thoughts, where in English poetry the emphasis is on rhyme and meter. This correspondence of thought in Hebrew poetry is called parallelism. It is the distinguishing mark the Hebrew poet. Each line has […]
To tell of disappointment and misery, to thicken the darkness of futurity, and perplex the labyrinth of uncertainty, has been always a delicious employment of the poets.
That’s the way it is with poetry: When it is incomprehensible it seems profound, and when you understand it, it is only ridiculous.
Indifference to poetry is one of the most conspicuous characteristics of the human race.
Vain was the chief’s, the sage’s pride! They had no poet, and they died.
