40 Quotes by Peter Davison

But there is some way in which poets believe that and this is dangerous, too believe that their calling gives them a certain freedom. A certain freedom to live in a free way.

Every so often I find some poems that are too good for the readers of The Atlantic because they are a little too involved with the nature of poetry, as such.

In order to understand what they need to understand, in order to write what they write, they have to be free. And yet, they aren't ever free. They are not free because they are not free of the constrictions their art puts on them.

Dealing with poetry is a daunting task, simply because the reason one does it as an editor at all is because one is constantly coming to terms with one's own understanding of how to understand the world.

There are some poets, and some of the good ones, who really act as careerists and go out and make a career, make sure they're well regarded.

My friends never talk to me about my poetry because they're embarrassed that I write it or they're embarrassed by what I write about which are not such extraordinarily terrifying things, but they are the state of human existence.

Obviously, there is a connection between the outer face of the poet and the persona that emerges in his or her work.

If they want to know anything about poetry, they simply have to go out and learn it.

But nobody can write poetry all the time.