--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think, as poets, we are in the odd…" description: "\"I think, as poets, we are in the odd position of constantly defending our art form. Which is funny and also sort of invigorating, too. No one really sa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f55/ada-limon-25332_art_i-think-as-poets-we-are-in-the-odd-posit_631526.jpg" --- # I think, as poets, we are in the odd position of… ![“I think, as poets, we are in the odd position of constantly defending our art form. Which is funny and also sort of invigorating, too. No one really says, "Oh you're a lawyer? I've never understood the law. In fact, I kind of hate it." Or, "Oh you wait tables? I didn't know that was something…” quote by Ada Limon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f55/ada-limon-25332_art_i-think-as-poets-we-are-in-the-odd-posit_631526.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f55/ada-limon-25332_art_i-think-as-poets-we-are-in-the-odd-posit_631526.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f55/ada-limon-25332_art_i-think-as-poets-we-are-in-the-odd-posit_631526.jpg) > “I think, as poets, we are in the odd position of constantly defending our art form. Which is funny and also sort of invigorating, too. No one really says, "Oh you're a lawyer? I've never understood the law. In fact, I kind of hate it." Or, "Oh you wait tables? I didn't know that was something people did." I say it can be invigorating because, on some level, we have to evaluate what we do and why we do it almost daily. We have to explain ourselves to people all the time. We have to say, "Yes, I am a unicorn, believe in me."” [Ada Limon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-limon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poets constantly defend their craft, turning criticism into motivation and self‑examination. **In simple terms:** Poets defend art, finding energy in critique. Key Takeaway Embrace critique as creative fuel. Themes art defense self‑reflection Mood thoughtful determined Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - writing workshops - public readings - teaching poetry Key Concepts creative resilience professional identity Questions to Reflect On - How do you turn criticism into growth? - What aspects of your work need defending? A Different Perspective Criticism can become discouraging if not balanced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-form/) [Hate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hate/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Unicorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unicorn/) ## Related quotes > [“Sometimes we all need a unicorn to believe in. Sometimes we need a unicorn to believe in us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-bakker/sometimes-we-all-need-a-unicorn-to-believe-in-sometimes-we-need-a/) Claudia Bakker > [“Myself I cannot see the persistence of the artist type. 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See Lamb 486:25.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-cope/i-used-to-think-all-poets-were-byronic-mad-bad-and-dangerous-to-know/) [Wendy Cope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-cope/) > [I think that poets can say, "What we want is for everybody on earth to wake up free from fear and with access to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/i-think-that-poets-can-say-what-we-want-is-for-everybody-on-earth-to/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) ## More by Ada Limon > [Precise, graceful, and generous, the poems in SuperLoop, seem to be born out of a deep, careful attention and a profound compassion. Sometimes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-limon/precise-graceful-and-generous-the-poems-in-superloop-seem-to-be-born/) [Ada Limon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-limon/) > [“My mother was born on Valentine’s Day and because of that, I have oddly always loved Valentine’s Day. 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