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A. R. Ammons

11 quotes

A. R. Ammons may not have a Wikipedia page, but their words have earned a place in our collection all the same. A. R. Ammons's observations on Poetry are as sharp as their thoughts on Health, revealing genuine breadth of mind. 11 of A. R. Ammons's sharpest quotes live here, spanning themes of Poetry, Health, Experience, and Alone. Readers often gravitate to this one: "Is it not careless to become too local when there are four hundred billion stars in our galaxy alone."

“Poetry leads us to the unstructured sources of our beings, to the unknown, and returns us to our rational, structured selves refreshed.”

— A. R. Ammons

Poetry

All Quotes by A. R. Ammons

“I am grateful for - though I can't keep up with - the flood of articles, theses, and textbooks that mean to share insight concerning the nature of poetry.”

— A. R. Ammons

Poetry

“Besides the actual reading in class of many poems, I would suggest you do two things: first, while teaching everything you can and keeping free of it, teach that poetry is a mode of discourse that differs from logical exposition.”

— A. R. Ammons

Poetry

“If we ask a vague question, such as, 'What is poetry?' we expect a vague answer, such as, 'Poetry is the music of words,' or 'Poetry is the linguistic correction of disorder.'”

— A. R. Ammons

Poetry

“Even if you walk exactly the same route each time - as with a sonnet - the events along the route cannot be imagined to be the same from day to day, as the poet's health, sight, his anticipations, moods, fears, thoughts cannot be the same.”

— A. R. Ammons

Health

“Is it not careless to become too local when there are four hundred billion stars in our galaxy alone.”

— A. R. Ammons

Alone

“That's a wonderful change that's taken place, and so most poetry today is published, if not directly by the person, certainly by the enterprise of the poet himself, working with his friends.”

— A. R. Ammons

Poetry

“Once every five hundred years or so, a summary statement about poetry comes along that we can't imagine ourselves living without.”

— A. R. Ammons

Poetry

“Probably all the attention to poetry results in some value, though the attention is more often directed to lesser than to greater values.”

— A. R. Ammons

Poetry

“Everything is discursive opinion instead of direct experience.”

— A. R. Ammons

Experience

“Poetry leads us to the unstructured sources of our beings, to the unknown, and returns us to our rational, structured selves refreshed.”

— A. R. Ammons

Poetry

“The poet exposes himself to the risk. All that has been said about poetry, all that he has learned about poetry, is only a partial assurance.”

— A. R. Ammons

Poetry