On Poetry

“A poem should not mean/ But be.”
--Archibald MacLeish

“As naturally as the oak bears an acorn, and the vine a gourd, a man bears a poem, either spoken or done.”
--Thoreau

“The poem is the point at which our strength gave out.”
--Richard Rosen

“Poetry is going to last because what remains of a culture are those things left by the artists.”
--Ellyn Maybe

“A true poet does not bother to be poetical. Nor does a nursery gardener scent his roses.”
--Jean Cocteau

“The Poet doesn’t invent. He listens.”
--Jean Cocteau

“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks.”
--Simonides

“Poetry is language under pressure.”
--Ken Weisner