It wasn't a deliberate decision to become a poet. It was something I found myself doing - and loving. Language became an addiction.
Interpretation
The journey to becoming a poet can be natural and spontaneous rather than a planned choice.
In this quote, Yusef Komunyakaa reflects on the organic and often unintentional process of becoming a poet. He expresses how poetry is not merely a career choice but a passion that emerged naturally within him, highlighting the deep connection between language and personal fulfillment, likening his love for words to an addiction that enriches his life.
In practice
In a workshop on creative writing, one could use this quote to inspire students to embrace their spontaneous creativity.
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.
We have to embrace the good over the bad. That has to be one's personal project.
I originally wanted to embrace the imagery and forthrightness of rap music. There are some interesting, dynamic voices in rap. But I find most of it irresponsible in its overt violence and commercialization of anger. As artists, we believe we can will action through language. If that's the case, we have to take responsibility for what we say.
I'm uncomfortable with the focus on the poet and not on the poem.
Poetry helps me understand who I am. It helps me understand the world around me. But above all, what poetry has taught me is the fact that I need to embrace mystery in order to be completely human.
Tonight I feel the stars are out_x000D_ to use me for target practice.
Artists who seek perfection in everything are those who can't attain it in anything.
For Christ plays in ten thousand places,/ Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his/ To the Father through the features of menβs faces.
Nothing matters but the writing. There has been nothing else worthwhile... a stain upon the silence.
There are thousands of very, very talented artists who will never be known, even after they are dead.
The work that lasts over time is the work which still speaks to us when all contemporary interest in that work is extinct.
Directing has completely changed the way I write and watch films.
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