We may feel bitterly how little our poems can do in the face of seemingly out-of-control technological power and seemingly limitless corporate greed, yet it has always been true that poetry can break isolation, show us to ourselves when we are outlawed or made invisible, remind us of beauty where no beauty seems possible, remind us of kinship where all is represented as separation.
Interpretation
Poetry serves as a powerful medium to connect us and express our humanity, despite overwhelming challenges.
In this quote, Adrienne Rich emphasizes the profound role of poetry in navigating the complexities of modern existence, particularly in the face of technological dominance and corporate greed. She asserts that while poetry may appear insignificant against these vast forces, it possesses the unique ability to foster connection, reflection, and a sense of beauty and kinship, even in isolation and adversity. Through poetry, we can reclaim our humanity and find solace amidst overwhelming societal pressures.
In practice
Citing this quote in a poetry reading to highlight the power of words in challenging times.
My children cause me the most exquisite suffering of which I have any experience. It is the suffering of ambivalence: the murderous alternation between bitter resentment and raw-edged nerves, and blissful gratification and tenderness. Sometimes I seem to myself, in my feelings toward these tiny guiltless beings, a monster of selfishness and intolerance.
The word revolution itself has become not only a dead relic of Leftism, but a key to the deadendedness of male politics: the revolution of a wheel which returns in the end to the same place; the revolving door of a politics which has liberated women only to use them, and only within the limits of male tolerance.
A president cannot meaningfully honor certain token artists while the people at large are so dishonored.'”
There is no 'the truth','a truth' - truth is not one thing, or even a system. It is an increasing complexity. the pattern of the carpet is a surface. When we look closely, or when we become weavers, we learn of the tiny multiple threads unseen in the overall pattern, the knots on the underside of the carpet
It is the suffering of ambivalence: the murderous alternation between bitter resentment and raw-edged nerves, and blissful gratification and tenderness
It's as if, in the mother's eyes, her smile, her stroking touch, the child first reads the message:'You are there!'
There’s no “correct path” to becoming a real artist. You might think you’ll gain legitimacy by going to university, getting published, getting signed to a record label. But it’s all bullshit, and it’s all in your head. You’re an artist when you say you are. And you’re a good artist when you make somebody else experience or feel something deep or unexpected.
Creativity: Take the obvious, add a cupful of brains, a generous pinch of imagination, a bucketful of courage and daring, stir well and bring to a boil.
If you go to a big publishing house, editorial aside, it's completely white.
True alchemy lies in this formula: ‘Your memory and your senses are but the nourishment of your creative impulse’.
Completing a book, it's a little like having a baby.
All of life in its complexity and beauty is forever minted in the gold of words.
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