73 Quotes by Howard Nemerov

Nothing in the universe can travel at the speed of light, they say, forgetful of the shadow's speed.

Language is remarkable, except under the extreme constraints of mathematics and logic, it never can talk only about what it's supposed to talk about but is always spreading around.

Robert Frost had always said you mustn't think of the last line first, or it's only a fake poem, not a real one. I'm inclined to agree.

It may be said that poems are in one way like icebergs: only about a third of their bulk appears above the surface of the page.

For a Jewish Puritan of the middle class, the novel is serious, the novel is work, the novel is conscientious application why, the novel is practically the retail business all over again.

A teacher is a person who never says anything once.

The spirit world doesn't admit to communicating with me, so it's fairly even.

History is one of those marvelous and necessary illusions we have to deal with. It's one of the ways of dealing with our world with impossible generalities which we couldn't live without.

I've never read a political poem that's accomplished anything. Poetry makes things happen, but rarely what the poet wants.