“Perhaps no poet is a conscious plagiarist, but there seems to be warrant for suspecting that there is no poet who is not at one time or another an unconscious one.” WritingSeemsPoetConsciousUnconsciousOne TimeWarrants Book:Following the Equator: Source: Following the Equator:
“No one begs you to be a poet or write a 1000-page poem. You have to be fueled by a drive, a conviction - a need, a necessity, a vision that is so pressing that it has no other outlet but through you. That doesn't mean that you are unconscious or in trance, but there can be moments like that.” NeedsWritingMeanMomentsVisionPoetPagesConvictionUnconsciousOutletsTrance Author:Anne Waldman
“There is this tendency to think that if you could only find the magic way, then you could become a poet. "Tell me how to become a poet. Tell me what to do." . . . What makes you a poet is a gift for language, an ability to see into the heart of things, and an ability to deal with important unconscious material. When all these things come together, you're a poet. But there isn't one little gimmick that makes you a poet. There isn't any formula for it.” IfsThinkingWayHeartLittlesImportantTogetherLanguageAbilityDealsMagicPoetMaterialsTendenciesUnconsciousFormulasAbility To SeeGimmicks Author:Erica Jong
“Maybe lurking in my unconscious was the idea that when someone's collected poems are published it means that the poet is dead. I found myself looking at my work as if I were at my own funeral.” MeanPoetUnconsciousFuneralLurking Author:Ron Padgett