"I have nothing to say, I am saying it, and that is poetry"
- John Cage
About this Quote
John Cage's quote speaks to the idea that poetry is not always about the words that are said, but rather the act of stating them. He recommends that even if one has nothing to state, the act of saying it is still poetic. This idea talks to the power of language and how it can be used to express emotion and ideas, even if the words themselves are not particularly significant. It also speaks with the idea that poetry is not practically the words, but also about the way they are stated and the feelings they stimulate. By saying that even if one has absolutely nothing to say, the act of saying it is still poetic, Cage is recommending that poetry has to do with more than just the words, but also about the emotion and ideas behind them.
This quote is written / told by John Cage between September 5, 1912 and August 12, 1992. He was a famous Composer from USA.
The author also have 13 other quotes.
"I think Ginsberg has done more harm to the craft that I honor and live by than anybody else by reducing it to a kind of mean that enables the most dubious practitioners to claim they are poets because they think, If the kind of thing Ginsberg does is poetry, I can do that"
"Nothing truly convincing - which would possess thoroughness, vigor, and skill - has been written against the ancients as yet; especially not against their poetry"
"The dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs"
"A book is sent out into the world, and there is no way of fully anticipating the responses it will elicit. Consider the responses called forth by the Bible, Homer, Shakespeare - let alone contemporary poetry or a modern novel"
