"No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem"
- Booker T. Washington
About this Quote
In this quote, Booker T. Washington highlights the importance of recognizing the value and self-respect in all kinds of work. He argues that no race can truly flourish until it comprehends that there is equal worth in both manual labor, such as tilling a field, and intellectual pursuits, such as writing a poem. Washington challenges the societal hierarchy that places a greater value on certain kinds of work over others, and emphasizes the requirement for a more inclusive and equitable view of labor. By acknowledging the dignity in all forms of work, Washington promotes a more well balanced and respectful society.
"Of the individual poems, some are more lyric and some are more descriptive or narrative. Each poem is fixed in a moment. All those moments written or read together take on the movement and architecture of a narrative"
"The heart of the matter seems to me to be the direct interaction between one's making a poem in English and a poem in the language that one understands and values. I don't see how you can do it otherwise"
"The point of an experiment is not to arrive at a predetermined end point, to prove or disprove anything, but to deliver a poem that reveals much about the process taken"
"Our moments of inspiration are not lost though we have no particular poem to show for them; for those experiences have left an indelible impression, and we are ever and anon reminded of them"
"The figure a poem makes. It begins in delight and ends in wisdom... in a clarification of life - not necessarily a great clarification, such as sects and cults are founded on, but in a momentary stay against confusion"