I want a fever, in poetry: a fever, and tranquillity.
James DickeyRead
Then you develop a kind of critical sense about what you write. You can tell when something is good, but it would be just as good in somebody else's work too. You want to hold out for those things only you can say.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the importance of individual voice and originality in writing.
James Dickey speaks to the essence of developing a critical perspective in one's writing. He suggests that a true writer not only recognizes quality in their own work but also understands that greatness exists in others' work as well. However, the key is to strive for unique expression—the ideas and sentiments that only they can convey, which defines their authentic voice in literature.
Themes
WritingOriginalityVoiceExpressionCritique
In practice
Example use cases
A writer might reflect on this quote during a workshop focused on developing unique writing styles.
More from James Dickey
All quotes →A poet is someone who stands outside in the rain hoping to be struck by lightning.
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So much destruction in modern war takes place miles and miles away from the source of the destruction, the human being who has caused it.
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What a view, i said again. The river was blank and mindless with beauty. It was the most glorious thing I have ever seen. But it was not seeing, really. For once it was not just seeing. It was beholding. I beheld the river in its icy pit of brightness, in its far-below sound and indifference, in its large coil and tiny points and flashes of the moon, in its long sinuous form, in its uncomprehending consequence.
James DickeyRead
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