Before people complain of the obscurity of modern poetry, they should first examine their consciences and ask themselves with how many people and on how many occasions they have genuinely and profoundly shared some experience with another; they might also ask themselves how much poetry of any period they can honestly say that they understand.

~   W. H. Auden (via berfrois)
W.H. Audenpoetrylitexperiencecollectivityreadingobscurity
28.08.12/12:34/♥ 205

The heart’s the eye
we cry
the body through.

I want the word
for ‘to not
map, ever.’

~   Graham Foust, “Poem” (via proustitute)
Graham Foustpoetrylitheartseyesbodieswordsmaps
08.08.12/11:11/♥ 147

And once there were oceans
violent inside us…

~   David Kutz-Marks, from “Liberation Two” (via proustitute)
David Kutz-Markspoetrylittimeoceansviolence
25.06.12/13:34/♥ 325

but I say whatever
one loves, is

~   Sappho, Poems and Fragments, trans. Stanley Lombardo (via proustitute)
LitSapphopoetryfragmentslovebeing
10.05.12/10:39/♥ 446

my world was calling yours
its own, forever.

~   Paul Celan, from Glottal Stop, trans. Nikolai Popov and Heather McHugh (via proustitute)
Paul Celanpoetrylitworldsyoueternity
12.03.12/21:45/♥ 240

Oh, yes, the rain is sorry.

~   Brenda Shaughnessy, from “Project for a Fainting” (via proustitute)
Brenda Shaughnessypoetrylitrain
24.02.12/07:39/♥ 51

I said that the more we can name what we’re seeing, the more language we have for it, the less likely we are to destroy it.

~   Mark Doty (source; adapted from itgivesitthew)
Mary Dotypoetrylitnameslanguagedestruction
05.02.12/12:23/♥ 166

Listen. Put on morning.

~   W. S. Graham, from “[Listen. Put on Morning.]” (via proustitute)
W.S. Grahampoetrylitlisteningmorninggarments
17.11.11/12:14/♥ 49

Every day,
Every day,
Tell the hours
By their shadows,
By their shadows.

~   Adelaide Crapsey, “The Sun-Dial” (via proustitute)
Adelaide Crapseypoetrylitsundialsdayshoursshadows
06.11.11/13:11/♥ 101
02.11.11/22:11/♥ 67
Frederic James ShieldsartpaintinginteriorsWilliam Blakelitpoetry
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