Making art in America is about saving one's soul.
Charles SimicRead
We name one thing and then another. That’s how time enters poetry. Space, on the other hand, comes into being through the attention we pay to each word. The more intense our attention, the more space, and there’s a lot of space inside words.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote illustrates the relationship between language, poetry, and the perception of time and space.
Charles Simic suggests that poetry captures time through the act of naming and describing various elements, while space is created through the focused attention and intensity we give to each word. This implies that our engagement with words can create a vastness of meaning and interpretation, revealing deeper layers within the language.
Themes
PoetryLanguageAttentionTimeSpaceWords
In practice
Example use cases
In a poetry reading, one might use this quote to emphasize the beauty of language.
More from Charles Simic
All quotes →Insomnia is an all-night travel agency with posters advertising faraway places.
Charles SimicRead
I was already dozing off in the shade, dreaming that the rustling trees were my many selves explaining themselves all at the same time so that I could not make out a single word. My life was a beautiful mystery on the verge of understanding, always on the verge! Think of it!
Charles SimicRead
The plain truth is we are going to die. Here I am, a teeny spec surrounded by boundless space and time, arguing with the whole of creation, shaking my fist, sputtering, growing even eloquent at times, and then-poof! I am gone. Swept off once and for all. I think that is very, very funny.
Charles SimicRead
A poem is an invitation to a voyage. As in life, we travel to see fresh sights.
Charles SimicRead
If I believe in anything, it is in the dark night of the soul. Awe is my religion, and mystery is its church.
Charles SimicRead
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