It's absolutely crucial to maintain my life as a poet.
Edward HirschRead
Writing poetry is such an intense experience that it helps to start the process in a casual or wayward frame of mind.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writing poetry requires a relaxed state of mind, allowing creativity to flow freely.
Edward Hirsch suggests that the process of writing poetry is deeply immersive and emotional, and to tap into that intensity, it is beneficial to begin with a casual, open-minded attitude. This approach can foster creativity, enabling poets to express their thoughts and feelings more authentically, as they are not confined by rigid structures or expectations.
Themes
PoetryCreativityWritingCasualExpression
In practice
Example use cases
During a poetry reading event, one might quote this to encourage aspiring poets to find their unique voice.
More from Edward Hirsch
All quotes βThe 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.
Edward HirschRead
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
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Alexander PushkinRead
If you have the opportunity for your art to meet activism, you shouldn't pass that up when it comes your way.
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I don't need to manufacture trauma in my life to be creative. I have a big enough reservoir of sadness or emotional trauma to last me.
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I like the thought that what we are to do on this earth is embellish it for its greater beauty, so that oncoming generations can look back to the shapes we leave here and get the same thrill that I get in looking back at theirs - at the Parthenon, at Chartres Cathedral.
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It starts with this: put your desk in the corner, and every time you sit down there to write, remind yourself why it isn't in the middle of the room. Life isn't a support system for art. It's the other way around.
Stephen KingRead