And at least in poetry you should feel free to lie. That is, not to lie, but to imagine what you want, to follow the direction of the poem.
Mark StrandRead
The number of people writing poems is vast, and their reasons for doing so are many, that much can be surmised from the stacks of submissions.
Interpretation
Many people write poetry for various reasons, illustrating the diverse nature of poetic expression.
Mark Strand reflects on the vast number of individuals engaged in writing poetry, suggesting that their motivations are equally numerous and complex. This observation highlights the richness and diversity of poetic expression within society, as every poet brings their unique voice and purpose to their creations, contributing to the broader tapestry of literature.
In practice
In a poetry workshop, to encourage participants to explore their reasons for writing, you might say this quote to inspire conversation.
And at least in poetry you should feel free to lie. That is, not to lie, but to imagine what you want, to follow the direction of the poem.
...In another time, What cannot be seen will define us, and we shall be prompted To say that language is error, and all things are wronged By representation. The self, we shall say, can never be Seen with a disguise, and never be seen without one.
Even this late it happens the coming of love, the coming of light. You wake and the candles are lit as if by themselves, stars gather, dreams pour into your pillows, sending up warm bouquets of air. Even this late the bones of the body shine and tomorrowβs dust flares into breath.
No voice comes from outer space, from the folds of dust and carpets of wind to tell us that this is the way it was meant to happen, that if only we knew how long the ruins would last we would never complain.
From the shadow of domes in the city of domes,_x000D_ A snowflake, a blizzard of one, weightless, entered your room_x000D_ And made its way to the arm of the chair where you, looking up_x000D_ From your book, saw it the moment it landed. That's all_x000D_ There was to it.
There's a certain point, when you're writing autobiographical stuff, where you don't want to misrepresent yourself. It would be dishonest.
I haven't stopped painting or drawing - I've just added another medium.
A photographer must always work with the greatest respect for his subject and in terms of his own point of view.
You like it, that's all, whether it's a landscape or abstract. You like it. It hits you. You don't have to read it. The work of art-sculpture or painting-forces your eye.
I think of myself as a stylist, and stylists can become notoriously obsessed with the placing of a comma, the weight of a semicolon.
They swayed about upon a rocking horse, And thought it Pegasus.
This diary is my kief, hashish and opium pipe. This is my drug and my vice.
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