Oh, I've discarded a great many [poems]. And occasionally…
![“Oh, I've discarded a great many [poems]. And occasionally I've discarded and then resurrected. I would find a crumpled yellow ball of paper in the wastebasket, in the morning, and open it to see what the hell I'd been up to; and occasionally it was something that needed only a very slight change…” quote by Conrad Aiken](https://sms4smile.com/q/img-quotes/333/conrad-aiken-9766_balls_oh-i-ve-discarded-a-great-many-poems-and_2787753.jpg)
“Oh, I've discarded a great many [poems]. And occasionally I've discarded and then resurrected. I would find a crumpled yellow ball of paper in the wastebasket, in the morning, and open it to see what the hell I'd been up to; and occasionally it was something that needed only a very slight change to be brought off, which I'd missed the day before.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Creative work often requires revisiting and refining discarded ideas.
In simple terms: Discarded poems can be revived with small changes.
Key Takeaway
Revisit old drafts; minor edits can revive them.
Themes
creativity
revision
perseverance
process
Mood
hopeful
reflective
Type
advice
inspirational
When to use this quote
- novel writing
- song composition
- screenwriting
Key Concepts
writing
artistic practice
Questions to Reflect On
- What old ideas could you revive?
- How much effort is needed to improve?
A Different Perspective
Not all discarded work is worthless.