A poem, as a manifestation of language and thus essentially dialogue, can be a message in a bottle, … - Paul Celan

Same topic Authors

Quote of the day

It is largely because the free-thinkers, as a school, have hardly made up their minds whether they want to be more optimist or more pessimist than Christianity that their small but sincere movement has failed.

Paul Celan

A poem, as a manifestation of language and thus essentially dialogue, can be a message in a bottle, sent out in the –not always greatly hopeful-belief that somewhere and sometime it could wash up on land, on heartland perhaps. Poems in this sense too are under way: they are making toward something. Toward what? Toward something standing open, occupiable, perhaps toward an addressable Thou, toward an addressable reality.

Addressable, Hopeful, Land, Reality, Sense, Sent

Same Author Quotes

Only truthful hands write true poems. I cannot see any basic difference between a handshake and a poem.

Basic, Hands, Inspirational, Poem, See, Writing

Only one thing remained reachable, close and secure amid all losses: language. Yes, language. In spite of everything, it remained secure against loss.

Close, Language, Loss, Spite, Yes

A poem, being an instance of language, hence essentially dialogue, may be a letter in a bottle thrown out to the sea with the-surely not always strong-hope that it may somehow wash up somewhere, perhaps on the shoreline of the heart. In this way, too, poems are en route: they are headed towards. Toward what? Toward something open, inhabitable, an approachable you, perhaps, an approachable reality. Such realities are, I think, at stake in a poem.

Heart, Poems, Reality, Sea, Strong, Thinking

Reality is not simply there, it does not simply exist: it must be sought out and won.

Reality, Doe, Sought, Simply, Exist

German poetry is going in a very different direction from French poetry. . . . Its language has become more sober, more factual. It distrusts "beauty. " It tries to be truthful.

Beauty, Become, Factual, Poetry, Sober, Truth