But most commonly, it's one poem that I work on with a lot of intensity.
Philip LevineRead
If that voice that you created that is most alive in the poem isn't carried throughout the whole poem, then I destroy where it's not there, and I reconstruct it so that that voice is the dominant voice in the poem.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A strong poetic voice must be present throughout the entire poem to convey its essence.
Philip Levine emphasizes the importance of a consistent and dominant voice in poetry. He believes that if the vibrant voice that gives life to the poem is not present throughout, he will eliminate the parts lacking it and reconstruct the poem to ensure that this vital voice is maintained, reflecting the essence of the poem's message.
Themes
PoetryVoiceCreationExpressionArt
In practice
Example use cases
An author discussing the importance of voice in a poetry workshop.
More from Philip Levine
All quotes →Meet some people who care about poetry the way you do. You'll have that readership. Keep going until you know you're doing work that's worthy. And then see what happens. That's my advice.
Philip LevineRead
I'm afraid we live at the mercy of a power, maybe a God, without mercy. And yet we find it, as I have, from others.
Philip LevineRead
It's ironic that while I was a worker in Detroit, which I left when I was twenty six, my sense was that the thing that's going to stop me from being a poet is the fact that I'm doing this crummy work.
Philip LevineRead
I'm saying look, here they come, pay attention. Let your eyes transform what appears ordinary, commonplace, into what it is, a moment in time, an observed fragment of eternity.
Philip LevineRead
Now I think poetry will save nothing from oblivion, but I keep writing about the ordinary because for me it's the home of the extraordinary, the only home.
Philip LevineRead
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