It wasn't a deliberate decision to become a poet. It was something I found myself doing - and loving. Language became an addiction.
Interpretation
The journey to becoming a poet can be natural and spontaneous rather than a planned choice.
In this quote, Yusef Komunyakaa reflects on the organic and often unintentional process of becoming a poet. He expresses how poetry is not merely a career choice but a passion that emerged naturally within him, highlighting the deep connection between language and personal fulfillment, likening his love for words to an addiction that enriches his life.
In practice
In a workshop on creative writing, one could use this quote to inspire students to embrace their spontaneous creativity.
Students often have such a lofty idea of what a poem is, and I want them to realize that their own lives are where the poetry comes from. The most important things are to respect the language; to know the classical rules, even if only to break them; and to be prepared to edit, to revise, to shape.
We have to embrace the good over the bad. That has to be one's personal project.
I originally wanted to embrace the imagery and forthrightness of rap music. There are some interesting, dynamic voices in rap. But I find most of it irresponsible in its overt violence and commercialization of anger. As artists, we believe we can will action through language. If that's the case, we have to take responsibility for what we say.
I'm uncomfortable with the focus on the poet and not on the poem.
Poetry helps me understand who I am. It helps me understand the world around me. But above all, what poetry has taught me is the fact that I need to embrace mystery in order to be completely human.
Tonight I feel the stars are out_x000D_ to use me for target practice.
But beauty must be broken daily to remain beautiful.
But I'd be lying if I didn't say that every time you go to make a film, you're desperate to either do it better than you did it last time or to not repeat yourself.
A man climbs a mountain because it is there. An artist makes a work of art because it is not there.
The camera is for us a tool, not a pretty mechanical toy ... people think far too much about techniques and not enough about seeing.
I feel like for me to write songs that I would be interested in as a listener, there has to be tension, and there has to be some kind of push and pull between reality and the potential of disaster.
In the big picture I write for an audience of people I've never met. By the final draft I'm looking for anything in the prose that's prospectively boring to strangers.
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