Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Mark Strand

Quote by Mark Strand

Author

Mark Strand
Mark Strand

Mark Strand, born on April 11, 1934, was an influential American poet known for his concise and profound poetry. His works have won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, and have been translated into many languages, enjoying widespread international acclaim. more

You May Also Like

“I don’t have any money,” he tells her. “I know,” she replies, leaning over and unearthing a wallet. “But I found some.” “‘Found.’” She pulls out a card and puts the green leather square onto the console. The edge is riddled with tooth marks, and Nova frowns. “That’s Harper’s.” “I’ll buy him a present. He won’t mind.”

FunnyTroublemakerBad Girls
Book:Blackpines: The Antlers Witch: The Black Tree Chaise
Create image

“Politically we feel alienated, rejected, and hopeless. The chasm between the people and their political representatives has widened to a terrifying degree. In a political vacuum we become increasingly vulnerable to a seizure from the far right. We know that the Snake is there but we are as paralyzed as the Rabbit. People are not rabbits, and America must shake off this nightmare and awake again. The middle classes must be organized for action, for claiming their rights and powers of citizenship in a free society. The organization must be committed to the values of a free and open society. The middle classes must begin to participate as citizens for those ideals which give meaning and purpose to life. Logic and faith go together as the opposite sides of the same shield. We know by our intelligence the greatness and desirability of a free and open society over all other alternatives. Logic tells us, "We'll believe it when we see it." But there is also the converse, faith. Faith, or belief in the people, tells us, "We'll see it when we believe it."”

FaithPoliticsIdealsOrganizationRejectionFascismCitizenshipHopelessnessAlienationOrganizers
Book:Reveille for Radicals
Create image

“The war began in 1972. That was the year I awoke to a profound truth: no one on this earth is indispensable, except the enemy. ¶ Without an enemy, human beings are poor things indeed. Their lives are ordeals, crushed between insignificance and boredom. ¶ The enemy is the Savior. His mere existence is enough to revitalize humanity. Thanks to the enemy, that unfortunate accident called life becomes epic.”

WarEnemyEnglish TranslationAndrew Wilson
Book:Le Sabotage amoureux
Create image

“…this story happened in China to the extent that it was permitted to do so—which is to say very little. ¶ It is a ghetto story, a tale of double exile: exile from our native country (which for me was Japan, since I was convinced that I was Japanese), and exile from China which surrounded us but from which we were cut off, by virtue of our status as profoundly unwanted guests. ¶ Make no mistake, however, in the end, China has the same weight in these pages as the Black Death had in Bocaccio’s Decameron: though hardly mentioned, it RAGES throughout.”

ChinaEnglish TranslationAndrew Wilson
Book:Le Sabotage amoureux
Create image

“Be the man who has the spirit of a ruthless tiger, ravaging every dusty corner of my soul. Be the man for whom I will tame myself voluntarily.. Be the man who can make me forget my birth date in moments of utter dellusion. Be the man whose arms are my harbor, whose lips are my shore, and whose name is my only salvation. Be the man who erases my past and draws my future with trails of roses and kisses. Be the man who makes me sigh behind the windows of Poetry, longing to be written. Be the man whose cigarette's ashes are confounded with mine. Be the man whose voice moves mountains inside me. Be the man whose eyes devour the innocence within me with every piercing glance. Be the man for whom I will transform exceptions into rules. Be the man who will dare to tear this poem from my hands. The man who will rewrite with the uncertainty of the futur every single one of my verses.”

ChangeManRelationship AdviceDazzlePoetry Quotations
Author:Malak El Halabi
Create image