Famous quote by Robert Creeley

"Again like Williams, with the emphasis now regrettable, when a man makes a poem, makes it mind you, he takes the words as he finds them lying interrelated about him"

About this Quote

Robert Creeley's quote discuss the intricacies and subconscious layers associated with the development of poetry, drawing a parallel to the poetic philosophy of William Carlos Williams. At the core of this statement is the principle that poetry is an artisan craft, created through intimate interaction with language as it exists naturally and fluidly within a poet's environment.

The initial contrast to Williams, a popular figure in the Imagist motion, recommends a gratitude for clearness, precision, and economy in language. Williams promoted for a more sincere representation of the world through uncomplicated imagery, catching the essence of experience without unneeded ornamentation. The expression "when a man makes a poem, makes it mind you", stresses the active role of the poet as a maker-- a deliberate and thoughtful developer. This is not about the spontaneous capture of short lived ideas but a mindful shaping of basic material into art.

Creeley uses the word "regrettable" to infer a sense of lament or missed out on potential that might occur from the poet's control of words. It means the stress in between the pureness of unchanged words and their transformation in poetry, questioning whether something necessary is lost or compromised throughout this process.

Words "lying interrelated about him" stimulate a scene wherein words are inherently connected and abundant with pre-existing relationships. The poet's role, then, is to view and honor these connections, drawing from them to cast a new constellation. This technique respects language as a living entity, where meanings are not enforced forcefully however coaxed gently from the ambient interplay of words and context.

In essence, Creeley's declaration reviews the poetic function as an engagement with the organic fabric of language. It requires a fragile balance between creative imposition and modest recognition of the language's inherent, linked nature, inviting poets to discover instead of determine the significances within their work.

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About the Author

USA Flag This quote is from Robert Creeley between May 21, 1926 and March 30, 2005. He/she was a famous Poet from USA. The author also have 14 other quotes.
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