I am this space my body believes in.
Interpretation
This quote reflects the connection between identity and physical existence, suggesting that our sense of self is deeply tied to our bodies and the spaces we inhabit.
Yusef Komunyakaa's quote 'I am this space my body believes in' encapsulates the idea that our physical presence and the environment around us shape our identity. It suggests that the body not only experiences space but also constructs a sense of self that is influenced by the spaces we occupy, both literally and metaphorically. This relationship emphasizes the profound impact of our surroundings on our personal and collective consciousness.
In practice
In a discussion about personal identity at a philosophy seminar.
Students often have such a lofty idea of what a poem is, and I want them to realize that their own lives are where the poetry comes from. The most important things are to respect the language; to know the classical rules, even if only to break them; and to be prepared to edit, to revise, to shape.
It wasn't a deliberate decision to become a poet. It was something I found myself doing - and loving. Language became an addiction.
We have to embrace the good over the bad. That has to be one's personal project.
I originally wanted to embrace the imagery and forthrightness of rap music. There are some interesting, dynamic voices in rap. But I find most of it irresponsible in its overt violence and commercialization of anger. As artists, we believe we can will action through language. If that's the case, we have to take responsibility for what we say.
I'm uncomfortable with the focus on the poet and not on the poem.
Poetry helps me understand who I am. It helps me understand the world around me. But above all, what poetry has taught me is the fact that I need to embrace mystery in order to be completely human.
My objection to the death penalty is based on the idea that this is a democracy, and in a democracy the government is me, and if the government kills somebody then I'm killing somebody.
It is given to no human being to stereotype a set of truths, and walk safely by their guidance with his mind's eye closed.
My spiritual pain is unbearable. I keep having the same unsolved question: if my rifle claimed people's lives, then can it be that I a Christian and an Orthodox believer, was to blame for their deaths?
For myself I think that one wrong does not right the other, and forgiveness cannot be won with useless tears or alms to the Church.
The central function of imaginative literature is to make you realize that other people act on moral convictions different from your own.
Fixity is always momentary. But how can it always be so? If it were, it would not be momentary - or would not be fixity.
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