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Poet Quotes

On concentrated language and simply enjoying existence.

One line draws a clean distinction: a philosopher sets out to prove that the philosopher exists, while a poet is content merely enjoying existence without needing proof. Another recalls being drawn to poetry in college for its concentrated, otherworldly language. Related reading continues on Expression quotes.

I shall, in due time, be a Poet.

Quotes by Ada Lovelace

A poet's autobiography is his poetry. Anything else is just a footnote.

Quotes by Yevgeny Yevtushenko

The reason a poet is a poet is to write poems, not to advertise himself as a poet.

Quotes by Yehuda Amichai

The violinist is that peculiarly human phenomenon distilled to a rare potency - half tiger, half poet.

Quotes by Yehudi Menuhin

Creativity Quotes

I started earning a living as a poet rather early on.

Quotes by Wislawa Szymborska

No one ever was a great poet, that applied himself much to anything else.

Quotes by William Temple

Every good poet includes a critic, but the reverse is not true.

Quotes by William Shenstone

To the poet, his travels, his adventures, his loves, his indignations are finally resolved in verse, and this, in the end becomes his permanent, indestructible life.

Quotes by William Jay Smith

Mediocrity is now, as formerly, dangerous, commonly fatal, to the poet; but among even the successful writers of prose, those who rise sensibly above it are the very rarest exceptions.

Quotes by William E. Gladstone

Emotion Quotes

I was a boy when I first realized that the fullest life liveable was a Poet's.

Quotes by Wilfred Owen

All a poet can do today is warn.

Quotes by Wilfred Owen

I'm not a journalist; I'm a poet.

Quotes by Werner Herzog

At college, I wanted to be a poet. I liked the extremely concentrated language, the atmosphere of otherworldliness.

Quotes by Walter Kirn

The proof of a poet is that his country absorbs him as affectionately as he has absorbed it.

Walt Whitman

Expression Quotes

The poet is the priest of the invisible.

Quotes by Wallace Stevens

The philosopher proves that the philosopher exists. The poet merely enjoys existence.

Quotes by Wallace Stevens

A poet is a professional maker of verbal objects.

Quotes by W. H. Auden

The writer of prose can only step aside when the poet passes.

Quotes by W. Somerset Maugham

A writer should have the precision of a poet and the imagination of a scientist.

Quotes by Vladimir Nabokov

Insight Quotes

None merits the name of Creator but God and the poet.

Quotes by Torquato Tasso

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this collection say about being a poet?
It frames poetry as something felt rather than performed for a role — one voice insists "I'm not a journalist; I'm a poet," while another prefers writing's "extremely concentrated language" over any career-minded path.
Is there a quote about a poet's relationship to their home country?
Yes — "the proof of a poet is that his country absorbs him as affectionately as he has absorbed it," presenting a mutual, almost reciprocal bond between a poet and their homeland.
What's the quote comparing poets and philosophers about?
It argues "the philosopher proves that the philosopher exists" while "the poet merely enjoys existence" — contrasting the philosopher's need to justify their role with the poet's simpler, more direct relationship to being alive.
Why do people search poet quotes?
Usually to find language that captures the identity or mindset of a writer, rather than technical advice about writing itself — this collection leans that way.
Where can I read related quotes?
For the craft side of poetry, see Words quotes, or for the feeling behind it, Emotion quotes.

A poet's truest test, one line suggests, is being absorbed by their own country as fully as they absorbed it. For nearby themes, browse Creativity quotes or Insight quotes.