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Joseph Brodsky Biography

Iosif Aleksandrovich Brodsky (/ˈbrɒdski/; Russian: Ио́сиф Алекса́ндрович Бро́дский [ɪˈosʲɪf ɐlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ ˈbrotskʲɪj] ( listen); 24 May 1940 – 28 January 1996) was a Russian and American poet and essayist.

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Joseph Brodsky Quotes

For a writer only one form of patriotism exists: his attitude toward language.

Attitude, Language, Patriotism, Toward

For darkness restores what light cannot repair.

Criminal Mind, Darkness, Light, Repair, Restores

I'm a bad Jew, a bad Russian, a bad everything.

Bad, Everything, Jew, Russian

Every writing career starts as a personal quest for sainthood, for self-betterment. Sooner or later, and as a rule quite soon, a man discovers that his pen accomplishes a lot more than his soul.

Writing, Men, Self, Quite, Sooner

Snobbery? But it's only a form of despair.

Despair, Form, Snobbery

I don't have principles. I have nerves.

Principles, Nerves

The poetic notion of infinity is far greater than that which is sponsored by any creed.

Infinity, Poetic, Creeds, Creed, Greater

It would be enough for me to have the system of a jury of twelve versus the system of one judge as a basis for preferring the U. S. to the Soviet Union. I would prefer the country you can leave to the country you cannot.

Country, Judging, Jury, System, Twelve, Versus

When Thomas Mann arrived in California from Germany, they asked him about German literature. And he said, 'German literature is where I am. ' It's really a bit grand, but if a German can afford it, I can afford it.

Arrived, Asked, California, Germany, Literature, Said

A poet is a combination of an instrument and a human being in one person, with the former gradually taking over the latter. The sensation of this takeover is responsible for timbre; the realization of it, for destiny.

Destiny, Poetry, Realization, Instrument, Former, Poet

I am quite prepared to die here [in NY]. It doesn't matter at all. I don't know better places, or perhaps if I do I am not prepared to make a move.

Matter, Move, Moving, Places, Prepared, Quite

I got caught up in the proletariat the way Marx describes it.

Caught, Describes, Marx, Proletariat, Way

A language is a more ancient and inevitable thing than any state.

Language, Ancient, States, Thing, Inevitable

I'm not trying to be ridiculous or funny, but it was rather pleasant to find yourself in isolation, in solitary.

Finding Yourself, Isolation, Ridiculous, Solitary, Trying

What I like about cities is that everything is king size, the beauty and the ugliness.

Beauty, Kings, Cities, Everything, Ugliness, Like

If there is anything good about exile, it is that it teaches one humility. It accelerates one’s drift into isolation, an absolute perspective. Into the condition at which all one is left with is oneself and one’s language, with nobody or nothing in between. Exile brings you overnight where it would normally take a lifetime to go.

Accelerates, Humility, Language, Nothing, Ones, Perspective

I didn't want to be either the cre`me de la cre`me or a martyr. I'd rather be a novelty, especially in a democracy that doesn't understand the language I write in.

Democracy, Martyr, Novelty, Understand, Want, Writing

The real history of consciousness starts with one's first lie.

Firsts, Lie, Lying, Real, Starts

The Constitution doesn't mention rain.

Rain, Constitution, Mention

In general, with things unpleasant, the rule is: The sooner you hit bottom, the faster you surface.

Bottom, Faster, Rule, Surface, Things

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