---
title: "1 Poetry Simply Quotes By George Oppen"
description: "1 Poetry Simply quotes by George Oppen. Plus more from George Oppen and more Poetry Simply sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/george-oppen-28841_firsts_the-first-question-at-that-time-in-poetr_2219398.png"
---

> [The first question at that time in poetry was simply the question of honesty, of sincerity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/the-first-question-at-that-time-in-poetry-was-simply-the-question-of/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d5/george-oppen-28841_firsts_the-first-question-at-that-time-in-poetr_2219398.png)

## More by George Oppen

> [A discrete series is a series of terms each of which is empirically derived, each one of which is empirically true. And this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/a-discrete-series-is-a-series-of-terms-each-of-which-is-empirically/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

> [Things explain each other, not themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/things-explain-each-other-not-themselves/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

> [“There are things We live among ‘and to see them Is to know ourselves’.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/there-are-things-we-live-among-and-to-see-them-is-to-know-ourselves/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

> [“Ultimately the air Is bare sunlight where must be found The lyric valuable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/ultimately-the-air-is-bare-sunlight-where-must-be-found-the-lyric/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

> [“Among days// Having only the force/ Of days//Most simple/ Most difficult”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/among-days-having-only-the-force-of-days-most-simple-most-difficult/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

> [It is necessary to study these words you have written, for the words have a longer history than you have and say more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/it-is-necessary-to-study-these-words-you-have-written-for-the-words/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

> [Truth, also is the pursuit of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/truth-also-is-the-pursuit-of-it/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

> [The meaning of a poem is in the cadences and the shape of the lines and the pulse of the thought which is given…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/the-meaning-of-a-poem-is-in-the-cadences-and-the-shape-of-the-lines/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

> [Clarity, clarity, surely clarity is the most beautiful thing in the world, A limited, limiting clarity I have not and never did have any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/clarity-clarity-surely-clarity-is-the-most-beautiful-thing-in-the/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

> [A pure mathematical series would be one in which each term is derived from the preceding term by a rule.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/a-pure-mathematical-series-would-be-one-in-which-each-term-is-derived/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

> [“I think there is no light in the world but the world and I think there is light”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/i-think-there-is-no-light-in-the-world-but-the-world-and-i-think/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

> [The self is no mystery, the mystery is / That there is something for us to stand on](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/the-self-is-no-mystery-the-mystery-is-that-there-is-something-for-us/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

> [“What I like more than anything is to visit other islands...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/what-i-like-more-than-anything-is-to-visit-other-islands/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

> [The first question at that time in poetry was simply the question of honesty, of sincerity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/the-first-question-at-that-time-in-poetry-was-simply-the-question-of/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

> [Those who are not very concerned with art want poems or pictures to record for them something they already know - as one might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-oppen/those-who-are-not-very-concerned-with-art-want-poems-or-pictures-to/)

[George Oppen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-oppen/)

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