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Quote by Brander Matthews

“Be brief, be buoyant, and be brilliant.”

Quote by Brander Matthews

Author

Brander Matthews

Brander Matthews was an American writer and critic, renowned for his extensive contributions to theater and literature. Born on February 21, 1852, and passing away on March 31, 1929, Matthews was a professor at Columbia University, where he made significant contributions to the study and appreciation of theater and literature. more

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“Imagination in a poet is a faculty so wild and lawless that, like a high ranging spaniel, it must have clogs tied to it, lest it outrun the judgment. The great easiness of blank verse renders the poet too luxuriant. He is tempted to say many things which might better be omitted, or, at least shut up in fewer words.”

Might Imagination Poet Judgment Faculty Fewer Tied Verses Blank Shut Up Tempted Outrun Easiness Spaniels

Book:The works of John Dryden now first collected ...

Source: The works of John Dryden now first collected ...

“Every now and then I meet someone certain of personal greatness. I want to pat this person on the shoulder and mutter comforting words: "Things will get better! You won't always feel so depressed! Cheer up!"”

Want Feels Persons Certain Greatness Shoulders Get Better Cheer Now And Then Comforting Cheer Up Comforting Words Things Will Get Better

Book:Poetry and ambition: essays, 1982-88

Source: Poetry and ambition: essays, 1982-88

“The truest and greatest Poetry, (while subtly and necessarily always rhythmic, and distinguishable easily enough) can never again, in the English language, be express'd in arbitrary and rhyming metre, any more than the greatest eloquence, or the truest power and passion.”

Enough Passion Language Arbitrary English Language Eloquence Truest Rhyming Greatest Poetry

Book:Specimen Days & Collect

Source: Specimen Days & Collect

“My biggest superhero of writing is Jorge Luis Borges, the Argentine fabulist. He's an amazingly perceptive writer, but also willing to make a joke.”

Writing Willing Jokes Superhero Borges

Author:John Hodgman

“On the one hand, I have wanted to supply documentation on myself by including material relevant to my emotions and ideas in my youth; and, on the other, not to let myself down by publishing inferior material. My poetry comes under the latter head. My only advice to the reader is to skip any verse that he sees coming.”

Ideas Hands Wanted Emotion Advice Youth Materials Reader Including Latter Relevant Publishing Verses Inferiors Skip Documentation

Author:Edmund Wilson

“A young poet in America should not be advised at the outset to give up all for the Muse-to seclude himself in the country, to live hand from mouth in Greenwich Village or to escape to the Riviera. I should not advise him even to become a magazine editor or work in a publisher's office. The poet would do better to study a profession, to become a banker or a public official or even to go in for the movies.”

Source: The shores of light: a literary chronicle of the twenties and thirties

“If at the end of your first ten or fifteen years of fighting and working and feeling, you find you've written one line of one poem, you'll be very lucky indeed.”

Ifs Years Firsts Ends Feelings Fighting Lines Written Lucky Ten Fifteen Fifteen Years One Line

Author:e. e. cummings

“My advice to all young people who wish to become poets is: do something easy, like learning how to blow up the world - unless you're not only willing, but glad, to feel and work and fight till you die.”

People World Feels Young Dies Fighting Wish Easy Advice Willing Poet Blow Glad

Author:e. e. cummings

“One of my secret instructions to myself as a poet is "Whatever you do, don't be boring."”

Secret Poet Boring Instruction

Author:Anne Sexton

“I am not sure, once a poet has found out what has been written already, and how it was written - once, in short, he has learnt his trade - that he should bother with literature at all. Poetry is not like surgery, a technique that can be copied. Every operation the poet performs is unique, and need never be done again.”

Needs Should Has Beens Done Found Literature Written Poet Unique Trade Technique Bother Operations Not Sure Poetry Is Surgery

Author:Philip Larkin