“The idiot greens the meadow with his eyes, The meadow creeps implacable and still; A dog barks, the hammock swings, he lies. One two three the cows bulge on the hill.” StillsTwoEyeLyingThreeDogHillsIdiotHis EyesCowsSwingsCreepsBarkMeadowsHammocks Book:Collected Poems, 1919-1976 Source: Collected Poems, 1919-1976
“A poem may be an instance of morality, of social conditions, of psychological history; it may instance all its qualities, but never one of them alone, nor any two or three; never less than all.” MayTwoThreeSocialQualityConditionsMoralityPsychologicalInstanceSocial Conditions Book:the man of letters in the modern world Source: the man of letters in the modern world
“At twelve I was determined to shoot only For honor; at twenty not to shoot at all; I know at thirty-three that one must shoot As often as one gets the rare chance - In killing there is more than commentary.” KnowsThreeChanceHonorTwentiesKillingDeterminedThirtyTwelveCommentary Book:Collected Poems, 1919-1976 Source: Collected Poems, 1919-1976
“I am not ridiculing verbal mechanisms, dreams, or repressions as origins of poetry; all three of them and more besides may have a great deal to do with it.” MayDreamThreeDealsMechanismRepression Book:the man of letters in the modern world Source: the man of letters in the modern world
