Writer poet Nature American Poetry Definition, rationality, and structure are ways of seeing, but they become prisons when they blank out other ways of seeing. - A. R. Ammons
Purpose Past Man I can't tell you where a poem comes from, what it is, or what it is for: nor can any other man. The reason I can't tell you is that the purpose of a poem is to go past telling, to be recognised by burning. - A. R. Ammons
For though we often need to be restored to the small, concrete, limited, and certain, we as often need to be reminded of the large, vague, unlimited, unknown. - 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 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
Identity Mind You have your identity when you find out, not what you can keep your mind on, but what you can't keep your mind off. - A. R. Ammons
And History will smile to think that this is the species for which Socrates and Jesus Christ died. - Julien Benda
Bereavement is the sharpest challenge to our trust in God; if faith can overcome this, there is no mountain which it cannot remove. - Dean Inge