But most commonly, it's one poem that I work on with a lot of intensity.
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of paying attention to the present moment and recognizing its significance.
In this quote, Philip Levine invites us to shift our perspective on the mundane aspects of life, encouraging us to appreciate the beauty and importance of every moment. He suggests that by observing our surroundings with an attentive mindset, we can uncover the extraordinary nature of what may initially seem ordinary, thus transforming our perception of reality into a deeper appreciation for existence.
Themes
AttentionMomentOrdinaryExtraordinaryPerceptionLife
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about mindfulness, this quote can illustrate the power of being present.
More from Philip Levine
All quotes βMeet 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
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.
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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