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George Oppen

George Oppen Quotes

Poet

George Oppen was an American poet known for his minimalist and direct style of poetry. His work often explores the relationship between the individual and society, as well as the essence of human existence. Oppen's poetry holds a significant place in 20th-century American literature and has had a profound influence on later poets.

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All Poetry Art Knows Achieve Appreciation Beautiful Beautiful Things Beauty Cadence Clarity

Famous George Oppen Quotes

“Poetry must be at least as powerful as music, but I am not sure that it is possible.”

Art Poetry Beauty Music Strength Appreciation

Author:George Oppen

“Once the singing was and is”

Love Past Poetry Relationships Creativity Living Presence

Author:George Oppen

“Leviathan" Truth also is the pursuit of it: Like happiness, and it will not stand. Even the verse begins to eat away In the acid. Pursuit, pursuit; A wind moves a little, Moving in a circle, very cold. How shall we say? In ordinary discourse— We must talk now. I am no longer sure of the words, The clockwork of the world. What is inexplicable Is the ‘preponderance of objects.’ The sky lights Daily with that predominance And we have become the present. We must talk now. Fear Is fear. But we abandon one another.”

Truth Poetry Talking Poem Conversation

Book:New Collected Poems

Source: New Collected Poems

“Those who are not very concerned with art want poems or pictures to record for them something they already know - as one might want a picture of a place he loves.”

Knows Want Art Might Poetry Records Concerned

Author:George Oppen

“The meaning of a poem is in the cadences and the shape of the lines and the pulse of the thought which is given by those lines.”

Given Lines Shapes Pulse Cadence

Author:George Oppen

“The first question at that time in poetry was simply the question of honesty, of sincerity.”

Firsts Honest Honesty Sincerity

Author:George Oppen

“There are situations which cannot honorably be met by art.”

Art Situation Mets

Book:Selected Prose, Daybooks, and Papers

Source: Selected Prose, Daybooks, and Papers

“Clarity, clarity, surely clarity is the most beautiful thing in the world, A limited, limiting clarity I have not and never did have any motive of poetry But to achieve clarity.”

World Beautiful Achieve Clarity Motive Beautiful Things

Book:New Collected Poems

Source: New Collected Poems

“A pure mathematical series would be one in which each term is derived from the preceding term by a rule.”

Would Be Term Pure Series Mathematical

Book:New Collected Poems

Source: New Collected Poems

“Things explain each other, not themselves.”

Book:The Selected Letters of George Oppen

Source: The Selected Letters of George Oppen

“It is necessary to study these words you have written, for the words have a longer history than you have and say more than you know.”

Knows Study Written

Author:George Oppen

“The self is no mystery, the mystery is / That there is something for us to stand on”

Book:George Oppen: Selected Poems

Source: George Oppen: Selected Poems

About the Author

Born: April 24, 1908
Died: July 7, 1984
Known for: Poet
Quotes: 12

Related Topics

Poetry Art Knows Achieve Appreciation Beautiful Beautiful Things Beauty Cadence Clarity

Popular Topics

People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

New Collected PoemsRelated source material

George Oppen: Selected PoemsRelated source material

Selected Prose, Daybooks, and PapersRelated source material

The Selected Letters of George OppenRelated source material

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