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Quote by James Merrill

Work

From the First Nine: Poems, 1946-1976

This volume includes a selection of poems written between 1946 and 1976 more

Author

James Merrill
James Merrill

James Merrill was an American poet known for his unique style and rich imagination. His works blended classical and modern elements, exploring themes such as love, nature, and mythology. Born on March 3, 1926, Merrill passed away on February 6, 1995. more

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“An absolute patience. Trees stand up to their knees in fog. The fog slowly flows uphill. White cobwebs, the grass leaning where deer have looked for apples. The woods from brook to where the top of the hill looks over the fog, send up not one bird. So absolute, it is no other than happiness itself, a breathing too quiet to hear.”

“I simply want to celebrate the fact that right near your home, year in and year out, a community college is quietly - and with very little financial encouragement - saving lives and minds. I can’t think of a more efficient, hopeful or egalitarian machine, with the possible exception of the bicycle.”

“It seems like many people think that if you drive yourself crazy, then you can write. I’m absolutely not interested in that. It made sense to me to be as whole and well as I could be, and as happy. I wanted to see what a fortunate life would produce. What writing would come out of a mind that didn’t try to torment itself? What did I have to know? What did I have to do rather than what can I torment and bend myself into doing? What was the fruit on that tree?”