Anne Stevenson
13 quotes
Biography
Anne Katharine Stevenson was an American-British poet and writer and recipient of a Lannan Literary Award.
"Mind led bodyto the edge of the precipice.They stared in desireat the naked abyss.If you love me, said mind,take that step into silence.If you love me, said body,turn and exist."
"Blackbirds are the cellos of the deep farms."
"Yes, I do often write poems from the mind, but I hope I don't ignore feelings and emotions."
"I did know Ted Hughes and I partly wrote the book to explain to myself and others the complexities of a marriage that was for six years wonderfully productive of poetry and then ended in tragedy."
"A poem might be defined as thinking about feelings - about human feelings and frailties."
"Each word bears its weight, so you have to read my poems quite slowly."
"I did know Ted Hughes and I partly wrote the book to explain to myself and others the complexities of a marriage that was for six years wonderfully productive of poetry and then ended in tragedy."
"I don't like poetry that just slaps violent words on a canvas, as it were."
"I have always made my own rules, in poetry as in life - though I have tried of late to cooperate more with my family. I do, however, believe that without order or pattern poetry is useless."
"I'm not really quiet or shy. Ask any of my friends! But I always ground my poetry in life itself. Poetry is an art of language, though, so I am always aware of every word's meaning, or multiple meanings."
"Poets should ignore most criticism and get on with making poetry."
"I dislike literary jargon and never use it. Criticism has only one function and that is to help readers read and understand literature. It is not a science, it is an aid to art."
"There's no friend like someone who has known you since you were five."