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Edward Hirsch Quotes

Poet

Edward Hirsch is an American poet renowned for his profound emotion and rich imagination. His works often explore themes of personal identity, history, and memory, earning him the admiration of readers and critics alike.

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All Thinking Poet Writing Poetry Is Trying Needs Reader Way Kind People Language Sometimes Certain Different Feelings Wells Book Culture Fiction Found

Famous Edward Hirsch Quotes

“There's never been a culture without poetry in the history of the world. In every culture, in every language there is expressive play, expressive word play, there's language use to different purposes that we would call poetry.”

World Different Play Use Purpose Culture Language World History Expressive

Author:Edward Hirsch

“I don't think poetry will die, but I think that poetry does demand a certain kind of attention to language.”

Thinking Kind Doe Certain Dies Language Attention Demand

Author:Edward Hirsch

“When I taught at the University of Houston in the Creative Writing program we required the poets to take workshops in fiction writing and we required the fiction writers to take workshops in poetry. And the reason for that is because the fiction writers seemed to need to learn how to pay greater attention to language itself, to the way that language works.”

Way Needs Writing Reason Language Pay Attention Fiction Creative Greater Taught Poet Program University Creative Writing Workshops Fiction Writing Fiction Writers Houston

Author:Edward Hirsch

“We're trying to make something that lasts in language and there's no question that many fiction writers began as poets and it's hard for me to think of any good fiction writers who don't also read poetry.”

Thinking Trying Hard Lasts Language Fiction Poet Fiction Writers

Author:Edward Hirsch

“Fiction writers learn about the development of metaphor, the use of rhythm, the way that language is compacted in order to express the feelings of - express their own feelings and the feelings of their characters.”

Way Character Use Feelings Order Language Fiction Development Metaphor Rhythm Fiction Writers

Author:Edward Hirsch

“I think fiction goes to poetry for the intensity of its use of language.”

Thinking Use Language Fiction Intensity Use Of Language

Author:Edward Hirsch

“In Náhuatl, the language of the Aztec world, one key word for poet was 'tlamatine,' meaning 'the one who knows,' or 'he who knows something.' Poets were considered 'sages of the word,' who meditated on human enigmas and explored the beyond, the realm of the gods.”

Knows World Humans Language Poet Keys Realms Sage Enigma Aztec

Author:Edward Hirsch

“Language is an impure medium. Speech is public property and words are the soiled products, not of nature, but of society, which circulates and uses them for a thousand different ends.”

Different Ends Use Language Products Thousand Speech Property Mediums

Book:How to Read a Poem: And Fall in Love with Poetry

Source: How to Read a Poem: And Fall in Love with Poetry

“Poetry connects us to what is deepest in ourselves. It gives us access to our own feelings, which are often shadowy, and engages us in the art of making meaning. It widens the space of our inner lives. It is a magical, mysterious, inexplicable (though not incomprehensible) event in language.”

Giving Art Feelings Language Space Events Access Mysterious Inner Life Inexplicable

Author:Edward Hirsch

About the Author

Born: January 20, 1950
Known for: Poet
Quotes: 130

Books & Sources

How to Read a Poem: And Fall in Love with PoetryRelated source material

Gabriel: A PoemRelated source material

The Living FireRelated source material

A Poet's GlossaryRelated source material

Best American Poetry 2016Related source material

Lay Back the Darkness: PoemsRelated source material

Special Orders: PoemsRelated source material

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