"In a manner of speaking, the poem is its own knower, neither poet nor reader knowing anything that the poem says apart from the words of the poem"
- Allen Tate
About this Quote
This quote by Allen Tate suggests that the poem is its own entity, separate from both the poet and the reader. The poem is the only one that knows what it is stating, as the words of the poem are the only source of understanding. The poet and the reader can just translate the poem based upon the words that are composed. The poem is its own knower, and the poet and reader are merely observers of the poem's significance. This quote suggests that the poem is a living, breathing thing, with its own ideas and feelings that can be interpreted by the reader. It also recommends that the poem is an effective tool, as it can communicate a message that is not necessarily comprehended by the poet or the reader. Ultimately, this quote stresses the importance of the words of the poem, as they are the only source of knowledge.
This quote is written / told by Allen Tate between November 19, 1899 and February 9, 1979. He/she was a famous Poet from USA.
The author also have 25 other quotes.
"With the question of the effect of a poem, the topic of investigation shifts from that of textual autonomy to textual reception - to the issue of what we actually look for or find in reading a poem"
"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"
"A revolutionary poem will not tell you who or when to kill, what and when to burn, or even how to theorize. It reminds you... where and when and how you are living and might live, it is a wick of desire"
