POETRY QUOTES XIII

quotations about poetry

The masters of information have forgotten about poetry, where words may have a meaning quite different from what the lexicon says, where the metaphoric spark is always one jump ahead of the decoding function, where another, unforeseen reading is always possible.

J. M. COETZEE

Diary of a Bad Year

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Almost as essential to poetry, and equally as regards poetry of the loftiest and poetry of the lowliest kind, is lucidity, or clearness of expression. No poet of much account is ever obscure, unless the text happens to be corrupt.

ALFRED AUSTIN

The Bridling of Pegasus

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How do poems grow? They grow out of your life.

ROBERT PENN WARREN

The New York Times, May 12, 1985

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