"For sure I once thought of myself as the poet who would save the ordinary from oblivion"

This quote by Philip Levine talks with the power of poetry and also its ability to record the beauty of the ordinary. It recommends that the poet has a responsibility to conserve the average from oblivion, to celebrate it in words and also make it something special. It talks to the idea that the poet has a distinct ability to take the mundane and make it extraordinary. It also talks to the concept that the poet has a duty to capture the appeal of the day-to-day, to make it something that can be valued and appreciated. By doing this, the poet can help to maintain the average and also make it something that can be appreciated as well as kept in mind. This quote speaks to the power of poetry as well as its capability to capture the elegance of the day-to-day and make it something special.