"I think we fool ourselves and really negate a great deal of history if we think that the oral history of poetry is shorter than the written history of poetry. It's not true. Poetry has a longer oral tradition than it does written"

This quote by Saul Williams is stressing the value of oral custom in poetry. He is recommending that the oral history of poetry is in fact longer than the written history of poetry, which we need to not undervalue the importance of oral custom. He is recommending that we ought to not forget the value of oral custom in poetry, and that it has been around for much longer than the composed tradition. He is highlighting that oral custom is an important part of poetry, and that it must not be ignored or forgotten. He is recommending that we must not forget the value of oral tradition in poetry, which it has actually been around for much longer than the written tradition. By recognizing the importance of oral custom in poetry, we can much better value the history of poetry and its development gradually.