Poetry is a street fighter. It has sharp elbows. It can look after itself. Poetry can't be used for manipulation; it's why you never see good poetry in advertising.
David WhyteRead
By definition, poetry works with qualities and dynamics that mainstream society is reluctant to face head-on. It's an interesting phenomenon that by necessity, poetry is just below the radar.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Poetry delves into complex emotions and truths that society often avoids, existing subtly in the background rather than in the spotlight.
David Whyte's quote highlights the nature of poetry as an art form that engages with deep and often challenging human experiences and emotions that are frequently overlooked or avoided by mainstream culture. He suggests that poetry operates in a realm that is less visible, yet it possesses profound significance, prompting reflection on the complexities of the human condition that are not usually confronted directly.
Themes
PoetrySocietyTruthArtHuman Experience
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of art in education, one might say, 'As David Whyte suggested, poetry uncovers truths that are often hidden by society's preferences.'
More from David Whyte
All quotes →Poetry is often the art of overhearing yourself say things you didn't know you knew. It is a learned skill to force yourself to articulate your life, your present world or your possibilities for the future.
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The price of our vitality is the sum of all our fears
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The severest test of work today, is not of our strategies, but of our imaginations and identities.
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We learn, grow and become compassionate and generous as much through exile as homecoming, as much through loss as gain, as much through giving things away as in receiving what we believe to be our due.
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What if the world is holding its breath - _x000D_ waiting for you to take the place that only you can fill?
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