I'd rather have two good friends, than 500,000 admirers.
E. E. CummingsRead
a poet is someone who is abnormally fond of that precision which creates movement. Which is to say the highest form of concentration possible: fascination; to report on the electrifying experience of being
Interpretation
What this quote means
A poet's precision in language creates a dynamic experience that captures fascination.
E. E. Cummings describes a poet as someone who possesses an unusual appreciation for the precision of language, which not only shapes their work but also gives it life and movement. This precision reflects the ultimate focus and ability to convey the intense emotional experience of existence, suggesting that poetry is not just about words but about the vibrant feelings those words can evoke in the reader.
Themes
PoetPrecisionFascinationLanguageMovementCreativity
In practice
Example use cases
In a literary discussion about the essence of poetry.
More from E. E. Cummings
All quotes →I'd rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach ten thousand stars how not to dance.
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It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.
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When god decided to invent everything he took one reath bigger than a circustent and everything began
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The Artist is no other than he who unlearns what he has learned, in order to know himself.
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Nobody else can be alive for you; nor can you be alive for anybody else.
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