“Question: Why are we Masters of our Fate, the captains of our souls? Because we have the power to control our thoughts, our attitudes. That is why many people live in the withering negative world. That is why many people live in the Positive Faith world. And you don't have to be a poet or a philosopher to know which is best.” PeopleKnowsWorldSoulAttitudeFatePoetMastersNegativePhilosopherCaptainsOur ThoughtsWithering Author:Alfred Armand Montapert
“There are some good things and some fantastic ones in Auden's early attitude; if the reader calls it a muddle I shall acquiesce, with the remark that the later position might be considered a more rarefied muddle. But poets rather specialize in muddles and I have no doubt which of the muddles was better for Auden's poetry: one was fertile and usable, the other decidedly is not. Auden sometimes seems to be saying with Henry Clay, "I had rather be right than poetry"; but I am not sure, then, that he is either.” IfsSometimesSeemsMightAttitudeDoubtPositionPoetReaderGood ThingsFantasticNot SureNo DoubtClayRemarksFertileMuddleAuden Author:Randall Jarrell
“Some of the old folk singers used to phrase things in an interesting way, and then, I got my style from seeing a lot of outdoor-type poets, who would recite their poetry. When you don't have a guitar, you recite things differently, and there used to be quite a few poets in the jazz clubs, who would recite with a different type of attitude.” WayDifferentUsedInterestingAttitudeSeeingStylePoetTypeJazzGuitarFolksClubsSingersUsed To BePhrasesInteresting Ways Author:Bob Dylan
“Prophetic utterance, like poetic utterance, transforms experience and moves the receiver to new attitudes. The kinds of experience--the recognitions or revelations--out of which both prophecy and poetry emerge, are such as to stir the prophet or poet to speech that may exceed their own known capacities; they are "inspired," they breathe in revelation and breathe out new words; and by so doing they transfer over to the listener or reader a parallel experience, a parallel intensity, which impels that person into new attitudes and new actions.” KindMayPersonsActionMovingPoetryAttitudeKnownPoetReaderSpeechCapacityInspiredBreatheRecognitionProphetRevelationsPoeticIntensityListenersProphecyParallelsExceedTransfersUtterancePropheticReceiverNew WordsNew Attitude Author:Denise Levertov