Poetry Quotes — page 19

The art and triumph of poetry are in nothing more seen and felt than in moving the passions.

To my mild tutor merrily I came (For I was then a proper goodly page Much like a pigmy, scarce ten years of age) Clasping my slender arms about his thigh. O my dear master! cannot you (quoth I) Make me a poet? Do it, if you can,

The current opinion that science and poetry are opposed is a delusion.

But can we go to posterity with a sheaf of loose pages, or ask the readers of those days, with the whole of literature before them, to sift our enormous rubbish heaps for our tiny pearls? Such are the questions which the critics might …

For though the poet's matter nature be, His art doth give the fashion. And that he Who casts to write a living line, must sweat

Such were the notes thy once lov'd poet sung, Till death untimely stopp'd his tuneful tongue.

Rhyme is the native condition of lyric verse in English; a rhymeless lyric is a maimed thing.

Music is the universal language of mankind — poetry their universal pastime and delight.

My meaning (dear Mother) is in these sonnets, to declare my resolution to be, that my poor abilities in poetry, shall be all and ever consecrated to God's glory.

Poetry teaches the enormous force of a few words, and, in proportion to the inspiration, checks loquacity.

He that works and does some Poem, not he that merely says one, is worthy of the name of Poet.

Some old poet's grand imagination is imposed on us as adamantine everlasting truth, and God's own word! Pythagoras says, truly enough, "A true assertion respecting God, is an assertion of God"; but we may well doubt if there is any example …

The Genius of Poetry must work out its own salvation in a man: It cannot be matured by law and precept, but by sensation and watchfulness in itself

My objection to metre is that it enables people to write verse with no poetic inspiration.

Beauty is the sole legitimate province of the poem.

And you, my fine poet, who thought that the earth To another such minstrel could never give birth, Already your works are all thrown on the shelf, And their author condemn'd as an ignorant elf.— Yes ; look thro' the world, and this truth …

The one stream of poetry which is continually flowing is slang.

We spent them not in toys, in lusts, or wine, But search of deep philosophy, Wit, eloquence, and poetry; Arts which I lov'd, for they, my friend, were thine.

Happy who in his verse can gently steer From grave to light, from pleasant to severe.

The hidden significance of these fables which is sometimes thought to have been detected, the ethics running parallel to the poetry and history, are not so remarkable as the readiness with which they may be made to express a variety of …

We hate poetry that has a palpable design upon us — and if we do not agree, seems to put its hand in its breeches pocket. Poetry should be great and unobtrusive, a thing which enters into one's soul, and does not startle or amaze with …

The unit of significance in the poem is not the word but the phrase or sentence...a poet should consider the effect of the whole poem, not its local felicities.

With me poetry has been not a purpose, but a passion; and the passions should be held in reverence: they must not — they cannot at will be excited, with an eye to the paltry compensations, or the more paltry commendations, of mankind.

Thou, Poetry, in absence wert a chain, Binding our hearts together: where so well As in thy numbers, could I pour my soul, In soothing tenderness? 'twas bliss, to make Thought visible to those of whom I thought.