986 Poetry Quotes for You to Enjoy

I think the first time I really heard poetry was in the schoolyard. Just the little limericks that kids say when they're jumping rope and playing games. I think that's the first time I heard rhyming words - I don't know if I'd call that the definitive poetry, but that's when I heard rhyming words said and not necessarily sung. Jill Scott

Time Words First Think Say Kids Definitive Sung Poetry Know Schoolyard Call First Time Said Heard Jumping Just Rhyming Little Really Rope Games Necessarily Playing Playing Games

I've been reading poetry publicly for 20 years, and this is what you do - you express, you sometimes dig a bit to get a conversation started. That's the point of poetry. You're supposed to go, 'Hmmmm,' and 'Woooh!' Jill Scott

You Conversation Sometimes Reading Dig Bit Poetry Point Supposed Go Been Years Get Express Publicly Started

I love kids that come to shows, little kids coming up to you with braces; like, some kid came up to me in a parking lot outside a show in Santa Cruz - he was about 14 or 15 - and he said, 'Y'know, I love 'The Basketball Diaries,' but I hope your next book of poetry isn't gonna be as academic as 'Living at the Movies' was.' Jim Carroll

Love Hope Me You Book Living Kid Kids Some About Poetry Parking Parking Lot Outside He Come Like Academic Cruz Said Coming Braces Came Diaries Lot Up Little Movies Gonna Little Kids Next Your Santa Show Shows Basketball

Poetry can unleash a terrible fear. I suppose it is the fear of possibilities, too many possibilities, each with its own endless set of variations... With basketball, you can correct your own mistakes, immediately and beautifully, in midair. Jim Carroll

Poetry is a pure meritocracy. There's no room for ambiguity: either a poem moves you and opens up new vistas in life, or it doesn't. It's completely objective, and the best always rise to the top. Jim Goetz

Life Best You Pure Top Objective Rise Poem Poetry New Opens Always Ambiguity Up Moves Either Room

The Masters is poetry to me. Jim Nantz

Me Poetry Masters

'Blue Velvet' changed my life forever. It was like I'd always read Chaucer and suddenly discovered Charles Bukowski. It made me understand that there is poetry of sublime ecstasy and dark terror, and it spoke to a side of me that hadn't been reached before. Joe Wright

Life Me Dark Made My Life Before Changed Side Charles Poetry Chaucer Spoke Velvet Like Ecstasy Reached Read Understand Terror Always Been Discovered Sublime Forever Blue Suddenly

In the past, poetry came in the form of spells and chants used to effect change. John Barton

Change Past Spells Poetry Came Effect Form In The Past Used

If poetry alters the way in which the reader views the world, then it has had its desired effect. John Barton

World Way Poetry Had Reader Effect Which Then Views Desired

My obsession with time informs my poetry so completely it is hard for me to summarize it. We want time to pass, for new things to happen to us, we want to hold on to certain moments, we don't want our lives to end. John Barton

The arts generally have had to recognize Modernism - how should poetry escape? John Crowe Ransom

Recognize Poetry Generally Had How Escape Arts Modernism Should

It's something we, guys, have all done. Made tapes for girls, trying to impress them, to meet them on a shared plane of aesthetics. Read them someone else's poetry because they do poetry better than you could do it, because you're too awkward to do it. John Cusack

You Better Made Girl Impress Too Else Meet Someone Something Guys Poetry Could Shared Read Because Aesthetic Tapes Than Trying Done Them Plane Awkward