Home / Authors / William Stafford

William Stafford

William Stafford Quotes

Poet

William Stafford was an American poet known for his concise and straightforward style. His works often explore the relationship between the individual and society, as well as profound reflections on the nature and existence of humans. Born on January 17, 1914, and died on August 28, 1993.

Filter quotes by topic

All Knows World Writing Ifs Way People Persons Happens Whole Done Found Kind Language Poetry Rivers Artist Discovery Giving May Poet

Famous William Stafford Quotes

“I am not learning definitions as established in even the latest dictionaries. I am not a dictionary-maker. I am a person a dictionary-maker has to contend with. I am a living evidence in the development of language.”

Persons Language Development Evidence Definitions Makers Dictionary

Author:William Stafford

“Others may be able to accept standards from another, but an artist is a person who decides.”

May Persons Able Artist Accepting Standards

Author:William Stafford

“Writing itself is one of the great, free human activities. There is scope for individuality, and elation, and discovery. In writing, for the person who follows with trust and forgiveness what occurs to him, the world remains always ready and deep, an inexhaustible environment, with the combined vividness of an actuality and flexibility of a dream. Working back and forth between experience and thought, writers have more than space and time can offer. They have the whole unexplored realm of human vision.”

“Everyone is born a poet - a person discovering the way words sound and work, caring and delighting in words. I just kept on doing what everyone starts out doing. The real question is: Why did other people stop?”

People Way Persons Real Sound Born Poet Caring Discovering Real Questions

Author:William Stafford

“If you don't know the kind of person I am and I don't know the kind of person you are a pattern that others made may prevail in the world and following the wrong god home we may miss our star.”

Ifs Knows World Kind May Persons Made Home Stars Missing Patterns Following

Book:Every War Has Two Losers: William Stafford on Peace and War

Source: Every War Has Two Losers: William Stafford on Peace and War

“The more you let yourself be distracted from where you are going, the more you are the person that you are. It's not so much like getting lost as it is like getting found.”

Persons Found Lost Madness Where You Are Distracted Where You Are Going Getting Lost

Author:William Stafford

About the Author

Born: January 17, 1914
Died: August 28, 1993
Known for: Poet
Quotes: 78

Related Topics

Knows World Writing Ifs Way People Persons Happens Whole Done Found Kind Language Poetry Rivers Artist Discovery Giving May Poet

Popular Topics

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

Books & Sources

The Way It Is: New and Selected PoemsRelated source material

Crossing unmarked snow: further views on the writer's vocationRelated source material

Ask Me: 100 Essential Poems of William StaffordRelated source material

Every War Has Two Losers: William Stafford on Peace and WarRelated source material

Writing the Australian Crawl: Views on the Writer's VocationRelated source material

Stories that could be true: new and collected poemsRelated source material

The answers are inside the mountains: meditations on the writing lifeRelated source material

You must revise your lifeRelated source material

An Oregon MessageRelated source material

Similar Authors

George SaundersBrowse related quotes
Stephen KingBrowse related quotes
Salman RushdieBrowse related quotes
Ursula K. Le GuinBrowse related quotes
Toni MorrisonBrowse related quotes
Anne LamottBrowse related quotes
Yoko OnoBrowse related quotes
Robert GreeneBrowse related quotes
Sandra CisnerosBrowse related quotes
David LevithanBrowse related quotes