It's absolutely crucial to maintain my life as a poet.
Edward HirschRead
The commitment to working at poetry is important because a poet is a maker, and a poem is a made thing. We have to honor our feelings by working to transform them into something meaningful and lasting.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of dedication to the craft of poetry and the transformation of emotions into art. Poetry is an intentional creation that embodies personal feelings.
Edward Hirsch's quote highlights the vital role of commitment in the art of poetry. He suggests that poets must actively engage in their craft to transform their innermost feelings into meaningful creations. Poetry, as an act of making, requires not just inspiration but also dedication to give shape and substance to emotions, resulting in works that can endure and resonate with others.
Themes
PoetryCommitmentCreativityFeelingsArt
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used to inspire a workshop discussion on the dedication required in artistic pursuits.
More from Edward Hirsch
All quotes →As far as I'm concerned, freedom is the most important thing to creativity. You should feel free to write in whatever way, whatever language, feels comfortable to you.
Edward HirschRead
The idea that a poem was a made thing stayed with me, and I decided then that I wanted to be an artist, not just a diarist. So I put myself through a kind of apprenticeship in writing poetry, and I understood even then that my practice as a poet was deeply related to my reading.
Edward HirschRead
And every year there is a brief, startling moment _x000D_ When we pause in the middle of a long walk home and _x000D_ Suddenly feel something invisible and weightless _x000D_ Touching our shoulders, sweeping down from the air: _x000D_ It is the autumn wind pressing against our bodies; _x000D_ It is the changing light of fall falling on us.
Edward HirschRead
When poetry separates from song, then the words have to carry all the rhythm themselves; they have to do all the work. They can't rely on the singing voice.
Edward HirschRead
The idea of a poem as a message in a bottle means that it's sent out towards some future reader, and the reader who opens that bottle becomes the addressee of the literary text.
Edward HirschRead
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