"Poetry is like making a joke. If you get one word wrong at the end of a joke, you've lost the whole thing"
- W. S. Merwin
About this Quote
This quote by W. S. Merwin is a terrific tip of the value of accuracy in poetry. Similar to a joke, if one word is off, the entire poem can be messed up. Poetry is a fragile art kind that needs mindful factor to consider of each word and expression. Every word needs to be selected with purpose and intention, as it can dramatically change the meaning of the poem. Merwin's quote is a reminder that even the smallest mistake can have a big impact on the total result of the poem. It is important to put in the time to craft each poem with care and precision, as it can make all the difference in the success of the poem.
This quote is written / told by W. S. Merwin somewhere between September 30, 1927 and today. He/she was a famous Poet from USA.
The author also have 2 other quotes.
"We don't attempt to have any theme for a number of the anthology, or to have any particular sequence. We just put in things that we like, and then we try to alternate the prose and the poetry"
"Concrete poets continue to turn out beautiful things, but to me they're more visual than oral, and they almost really belong on the wall rather than in a book. I haven't the least idea of where poetry is going"
"I think Ginsberg has done more harm to the craft that I honor and live by than anybody else by reducing it to a kind of mean that enables the most dubious practitioners to claim they are poets because they think, If the kind of thing Ginsberg does is poetry, I can do that"
