Ads Quote by Alasdair Gray
“A good poem is a tautology. It expands one word by adding a number which clarify it, thus making a new word which has never before been spoken. The seedword is always so ordinary that hardly anyone perceives it. Classical odes grow from and or because, romantic lyrics from but and if. Immature verses expand a personal pronoun ad nauseam, the greatest works bring glory to a common verb. Good poems, therefore, are always close to banality, over which, however, they tower like precipices.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Lanark by Alasdair Gray, 1981
Poetry often starts with simple, familiar ideas and builds complexity, turning ordinary language into something profound yet rooted in the mundane.
In simple terms: Simple ideas become complex poems.
Key Takeaway
Embrace simplicity, then expand creatively.
Themes
creativity
language
art
complexity
mundanity
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
analytical
literary
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- literary analysis
- creative writing classes
- poetry readings
Key Concepts
metaphor
symbolism
structure
semantic expansion
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance simplicity and complexity?
- When does elaboration obscure meaning?
A Different Perspective
The expansion can become overly ornate, losing clarity.
![“The most recent incarnation of [Bob] Dylan has been the traveling journeyman/ charlatan who sings roots music, snarls dark lyrics that make "All Along the Watchtower" sound like a Disney tune, hosts an old-school radio show, and turns up in some unusual places, like ads for Chrysler and Victoria's…” quote by Jay Michaelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/734/jay-michaelson-15590_ads_the-most-recent-incarnation-of-bob-dylan_17700.jpg)
