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Quote by Rita Dove

“The First Book: Go ahead, it won't bite. Well... maybe a little. More a nip, like. A tingle. It's pleasurable, really. You see, it keeps on opening. You may fall in. Sure, it's hard to get started; remember learning to use knife and fork? Dig in: you'll never reach bottom. It's not like it's the end of the world -- just the world as you think you know it.”

Quote by Rita Dove

Author

Rita Dove is an American poet born on August 28, 1952. Her works are known for their profound social insight and emotional expression, having won numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. more

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“When I was young, I was older than I am today.”

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“I try to do as many of my own stunts as possible. If you keep on taking yourself out of the role you play, you lose the thread of the character.”

Ifs Trying Play Character Loses My Own Roles Thread

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“For years, I had heard about the lack of interest in literature in the U.S. and I had complained about the lack of respect artists got here. In my heart, I failed to understand how people could fail to be moved by art.”

People Years Art Literature Interest Failing Heard Moved

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“All of us have moments in our childhood where we come alive for the first time. And we go back to those moments and think, This is when I became myself.”

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Author:Rita Dove

“Going to the library was the one place we got to go without asking for permission. And they let us choose what we wanted to read. It was a feeling of having a book be mine entirely.”

Book Feelings Wanted Mines Asking Library Permission

Author:Rita Dove

“The American Dream is a phrase we'll have to wrestle with all of our lives. It means a lot of things to different people. I think we're redefining it now”

People Thinking Mean Different Dream Our Lives Phrases American Dream Different Peoples Redefining

Author:Rita Dove

“The poetry that sustains me is when I feel that, for a minute, the clouds have parted and I've seen ecstasy or something”

Feels Minutes Clouds Ecstasy

Book:Conversations with Rita Dove

Source: Conversations with Rita Dove

“In working on a poem, I love to revise. Lots of younger poets don't enjoy this, but in the process of revision I discover things”

Process Enjoy Poet Revision

Book:Conversations with Rita Dove

Source: Conversations with Rita Dove

“What is ironic is that Allen Ginsberg's importance was in its twilight for so many years that it took his death to bring it to the front page. He electrified an entire world!”

World Years Fronts Pages Importance Ironic Twilight Ginsberg

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“There are distinct duties of a poet laureate. I plan a reading series at the Library of Congress and advise the librarian. The rest is how I want to promote poetry”

Want Reading Plans Poet Duty Series Library Congress Advise Librarian Aggravation

Author:Rita Dove