Writing poetry is what I am. I wouldn’t know what else to be.
Interpretation
Poetry defines the essence of the poet's identity and purpose.
In this quote, Alice Notley expresses that writing poetry is not just a hobby or profession for her; it is integral to her identity. The sentiment reflects a deep connection between the poet's existence and their craft, suggesting that without poetry, the poet would feel lost or incomplete.
In practice
During a poetry reading, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of poetry in a poet's life.
The consolations of space are nameless things. It was after the neurosis of winter. It was In the genius of summer that they blew up The statue of Jove among the boomy clouds. It took all day to quieten the sky And then to refill its emptiness again.
Music is love searching for a word.
Art is the final cunning of the human soul which would rather do anything than face the gods.
Because here’s the thing: No matter how much one tells stories of magical beasts or impossible worlds, in the end, it is always the world of here and now one is writing about. The better one understands that world, the more powerful the stories will be.
The solitude of writing is a solitude without which writing could not be produced, or would crumble, drained bloodless by the search for something else to write.
People often called us perfectionists, but we were not looking for perfection. We were looking for some kind of magic in the music.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.