"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.
"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 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"
"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"
"Our moments of inspiration are not lost though we have no particular poem to show for them; for those experiences have left an indelible impression, and we are ever and anon reminded of them"
"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"