“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
“We have the words in our pockets, obscure directions. The old ones have taken away the light of their presence.” LightPoetryTakenPoetPocketsObscure Book:Selected poems Source: Selected poems
“At Delphi I prayed to Apollo that he maintain in me the flame of the poem and I drank of the brackish spring there.” PoetryPrayerPoetSpringFlamesDrankApolloDelphi Book:Poems of Denise Levertov, 1960-1967 Source: Poems of Denise Levertov, 1960-1967
“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
“A poet articulating the dreads and horrors of our time is necessary in order to make readers understand what is happening, really understand it, not just know about it but feel it: and should be accompanied by a willingness on the part of those who write it to take additional action towards stopping the great miseries which they record.” KnowsFeelsShouldWritingActionOrderRecordsPoetReaderHorrorHappeningsMiseryOur TimeWillingnessDreadStoppingArticulating Book:New & Selected Essays Source: New & Selected Essays
