"Probably induced by the asthma, I started reading and writing early on, my literary efforts from the age of about nine running chiefly to poetry and plays"
- Patrick White
About this Quote
This quote by Patrick White suggests that his early literary efforts were likely a result of his asthma. He started checking out and composing at a young age, around 9 years of ages, and his works primarily included poetry and plays. This could be translated as a method for him to deal with his asthma, as composing and reading can be a kind of escapism. It could likewise be viewed as a method for him to express himself and his feelings, as composing can be a type of self-expression. It is possible that his asthma was a source of inspiration for his writing, as it provided him an unique viewpoint on life. Whatever the reason, it is clear that his asthma had a profound influence on his composing and his life.
"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"
