“Prophetic utterance, like poetic utterance, transforms experience and moves the receiver to new attitudes. The kinds of experience--the recognitions or revelations--out of which both prophecy and poetry emerge, are such as to stir the prophet or poet to speech that may exceed their own known capacities; they are "inspired," they breathe in revelation and breathe out new words; and by so doing they transfer over to the listener or reader a parallel experience, a parallel intensity, which impels that person into new attitudes and new actions.” KindMayPersonsActionMovingPoetryAttitudeKnownPoetReaderSpeechCapacityInspiredBreatheRecognitionProphetRevelationsPoeticIntensityListenersProphecyParallelsExceedTransfersUtterancePropheticReceiverNew WordsNew Attitude Author:Denise Levertov
“The poem has a social effect of some kind whether or not the poet wills it to have. It has a kenetic force, it sets in motion...elements in the reader that would otherwise remain stagnant.” KindForceSocialEffectsPoetReaderElementsStagnant Author:Denise Levertov
“There's in my mind a... turbulent moon-ridden girl or old woman, or both, dressed in opals and rags, feathers and torn taffeta, who knows strange songs but she is not kind.” KnowsMindKindSongGirlStrangeMoonTornFeathersOld WomanRagsOpal Book:Selected poems Source: Selected poems
“It's when we face for a moment the worst our kind can do, and shudder to know the taint in our own selves, that awe cracks the mind's shell and enters the heart.” KnowsMindHeartKindSelfMomentsFacesCan DoWorstAweCracksShells Book:The Stream & the Sapphire: Selected Poems on Religious Themes Source: The Stream & the Sapphire: Selected Poems on Religious Themes
