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I'm not a journalist; I'm a poet.
Werner Herzog
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote expresses the distinction between the factual reporting of journalism and the creative expression found in poetry.

Werner Herzog emphasizes the difference between journalism and poetry to highlight the subjective and imaginative aspects of the artistic process. While journalists aim to report reality and inform the public about factual events, poets delve into emotion, imagination, and personal truth, creating art that transcends mere facts and resonates on a deeper human level.

Themes

PoetJournalismArtCreativityExpression

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about creative writing, one may use this quote to illustrate the differences between various literary forms.

More from Werner Herzog

Perseverance has kept me going over the years. Things rarely happen overnight. Filmmakers should be prepared for many years of hard work. The sheer toil can be healthy and exhilarating.
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Hold firm to your vision but don't be a tyrant on set.
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For a moment the feeling crept over me that my work, my vision, is going to destroy me, and for a fleeting moment I let myself take a long, hard look at myself, something I would not otherwise do--out of instinct, on principle, out of self-preservation--look at myself with objective curiosity to see whether my vision has not destroyed me already. I found it comforting to note that I was still breathing.
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Very often, footage that you have shot develops its own dynamic, it's own life, that is totally unexpected, and moves away from you're original intentions. And you have to acknowledge, yes, there is a child growing and developing and moving in a direction that isn't expected-accept it as it is and let it develop its own life.
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Without dreams we would be cows in a field, and I don't want to live like that. I live my life or I end my life with this project.
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Coincidences always happen if you keep your mind open, while storyboards remain the instruments of cowards who do not trust in their own imagination and who are slaves of a matrix If you get used to planning your shots based solely on aesthetics, you are never that far from kitsch.
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Poetry can't give us the laws and institutions and representatives, the antidotes we need: only public activism by massive numbers of citizens can do that.
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