What makes me write is the rhythm of the world around me - the rhythms of the language, of course, but also of the land, the wind, the sky, other lives. Before the words comes the rhythm - that seems to me to be of the essence.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of the natural world's rhythm in inspiring creativity and expression.
John Burnside illustrates that the act of writing is not solely about the words themselves, but rather the underlying rhythms that permeate life and the environment. He suggests that language is influenced by the sensations and movements of the world—nature, other individuals, and the ambiance that surrounds us—highlighting the interconnectedness of experience and artistic expression.
In practice
In a poetry workshop, one could use this quote to explain how our surroundings influence our creative writing.
I like racing but food and pictures are more thrilling. I can't give them up. In racing you can be certain, to the last thousandth of a second, that someone is the best, but with a film or a recipe, there is no way of knowing how all the ingredients will work out in the end. The best can turn out to be awful and the worst can be fantastic. Cooking is like performing and performing like cooking.
My method of getting a play across the footlights is like a revolver shooting: every line has a bullet in it and comes with an explosion.
It's impossible for me to say one word about all that music has meant to me in my life. How, then, can I hope to be understood?
Art is the work of a human, an individual seeking to make a statement, to cause a reaction, to connect. Art is something new, every time, and art might not work, precisely because it's new, because it's human and because it seeks to connect.
The music we play has to be tomorrow's, the things we say have to be today, and the reason for bothering is yesterday.
I don't think art is propaganda; it should be something that liberates the soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further. It celebrates humanity instead of manipulating it.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.