When the brain gets as dry as an empty nut,
When the reason stands on its squarest toes,
When the mind (like a beard) has a "formal cut,"--
There is a place and enough for the pains of prose;
But whenever the May-blood stires and glows,
And the young year draws to the "golden prime,"
And Sir Romeo sticks in his ear a rose,--
Then hey! for the ripple of laughing rhyme!
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If Galileo had said in verse that the world moved, the inquisition might have let him alone.
If Galileo had said in verse that the world moved, the inquisition might have let him alone.
In poetry, you must love the words, the ideas and the images and rhythms with all your capacity to love read more
In poetry, you must love the words, the ideas and the images and rhythms with all your capacity to love anything at all.
Poetry is a way of taking life by the throat.
Poetry is a way of taking life by the throat.
Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted.
Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted.
Even when poetry has a meaning, as it usually has, it may be inadvisable to draw it out... Perfect understanding read more
Even when poetry has a meaning, as it usually has, it may be inadvisable to draw it out... Perfect understanding will sometimes almost extinguish pleasure.
For florid prose, nor honied lies of rhyme,
Can blazon evil deeds, or consecrate a crime.
For florid prose, nor honied lies of rhyme,
Can blazon evil deeds, or consecrate a crime.
The poet is in the end probably more afraid of the dogmatist who wants to extract the message from the read more
The poet is in the end probably more afraid of the dogmatist who wants to extract the message from the poem and throw the poem away than he is of the sentimentalist who says, "Oh, just let me enjoy the poem.".
It does not need that a poem should be long. Every word was once
a poem.
It does not need that a poem should be long. Every word was once
a poem.
Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads.
Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads.
