81 Quotes by John Ciardi

Early to bed and early to rise probably indicates unskilled labor.

Fermentation and civilization are inseparable.

Within a single scene, it seems to be unwise to have access to the inner reflections of more than one character. The reader generally needs a single character as the means of perception, as the character to whom the events are happening, as the character with whom he is to empathize in order to have the events of the writing happen to him.

Poetry lies its way to the truth.

You have to fall in love with hanging around words.

Let our love be like an arch- two weaknesses leaning together to form one strength.

If a man means his writing seriously, he must mean to write well. But how can he write well until he learns to see what he has written badly. His progress toward good writing and his recognition of bad writing are bound to unfold at something like the same rate.

Men marry what they need. I marry you.

You don't have to suffer to be a poet; adolescence is enough suffering for anyone