For the beginning is assuredly the end- since we know nothing, pure and simple, beyond our own complexities.
William Carlos WilliamsRead
Poets are being pursued by the philosophers today, out of the poverty of philosophy. God damn it, you might think a man had no business to be writing, to be a poet unless some philosophic stinker gave him permission.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses frustration toward the idea that poets need the endorsement of philosophers to validate their work.
In this quote, William Carlos Williams critiques the notion that poetry must be substantiated by philosophical approval. He suggests that poets are often devalued in the intellectual hierarchy, implying that their creativity and expression stand on their own without needing the justifications of philosophical thinkers. This sentiment reflects a tension between different forms of knowledge and the value placed on artistic expression versus academic authority.
Themes
PoetryPhilosophyCreativityExpressionValidation
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion on the role of poets in society during a literary event.
More from William Carlos Williams
All quotes →It was the love of love, the love of swallows up all else, a grateful love, a love of natural, of people, of animals, a love ingengering gentleness and goodness that moved meand that I saw in you
William Carlos WilliamsRead
O frost bitten blossoms, That are unfolding your wings From out the envious black branches. Bloom quickly and make much of the sunshine. The twigs conspire against you! Hear hem! They hold you from behind.
William Carlos WilliamsRead
No opinion can be trusted; even the facts may be nothing but a printer's error.
William Carlos WilliamsRead
It is almost impossible to state what one in fact believes, because it is almost impossible to hold a belief and to define it at the same time.
William Carlos WilliamsRead
Death will be too late to bring us aid.
William Carlos WilliamsRead
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