You have me like a drawing, erased, coloured in, untitled, signed by your tongue.
Carol Ann DuffyRead
Auden said poetry makes nothing happen. But I wonder if the opposite could be true. It could make something happen.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that poetry, often seen as inert, has the potential to inspire action and change.
Carol Ann Duffy reflects on W.H. Auden's assertion that poetry makes nothing happen, proposing instead that poetry can indeed catalyze significant events or emotions. By challenging the notion of poetry's inactivity, she highlights its power to inspire and provoke thought, suggesting that words can lead to impactful transformations in individuals and society.
Themes
PoetryInspirationChangeActionCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a literary discussion about the impact of poetry on social movements.
More from Carol Ann Duffy
All quotes βPoetry, above all is a series of intense moments Β its power is not in narrative. I'm not dealing with facts, I'm dealing_x000D_ with emotion.
Carol Ann DuffyRead
I have piles of poetry books in the bathroom, on the stairs, everywhere. The only way to write poetry is to read it.
Carol Ann DuffyRead
The moment of inspiration can come from memory, or language, or the imagination, or experience - anything that makes an impression forcibly enough for language to form.
Carol Ann DuffyRead
Poetry and prayer are very similar.
Carol Ann DuffyRead
I still have a feeling that I haven't written the best that I can write. I think all poets must feel this: that there is constantly something new to be discovered in the language. It's like a thrilling encounter, and you can find things.
Carol Ann DuffyRead
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