"It is the timber of poetry that wears most surely, and there is no timber that has not strong roots among the clay and worms"
- John Millington Synge
About this Quote
This quote by John Millington Synge speaks with the power of poetry and its capability to stand the test of time. He suggests that poetry is like a durable tree, with strong roots that are strongly planted in the ground. The roots of poetry are deeply ingrained in the earth, among the clay and worms, suggesting that poetry is deeply connected to the natural world. Synge is recommending that poetry is classic and will stay pertinent and effective for generations to come. He is also recommending that poetry is a part of the natural world, which it is deeply linked to the earth and its occupants. This quote speaks to the power of poetry and its ability to hold up against the test of time, and to stay appropriate and powerful for generations to come.
"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"
