"I try not to observe myself in the process of composing a poem because I don't want to come up with a formula, which I would then be unscrupulous in using"
- Thom Gunn
About this Quote
Thom Gunn's quote talks to the significance of imagination and originality in the procedure of writing a poem. He recommends that if he were to observe himself while making up a poem, he would be more likely to come up with a formula or pattern that he might then use to produce more poems. This would be an example of being "unscrupulous" in his writing, as he would be counting on a formulaic approach rather than enabling his creativity to flow freely. Gunn's quote highlights the importance of enabling creativity to take the lead in the writing process, rather than counting on a formulaic technique. He thinks that by observing himself while composing, he would be most likely to fall into a pattern of writing that would limit his imagination and creativity. Gunn's quote motivates authors to be open to the imaginative procedure and to permit their ideas to stream freely, rather than relying on a formulaic method.
This quote is written / told by Thom Gunn between August 29, 1929 and April 25, 2004. He/she was a famous Poet from United Kingdom.
The author also have 27 other quotes.
"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"
"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 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"
"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"