--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a lot of unconscious activity…" description: "\"There's a lot of unconscious activity that goes on I think in the composition of a poem.\" — Billy Collins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d52/billy-collins-3004_activity_there-s-a-lot-of-unconscious-activity-th_2222661.png" --- # There's a lot of unconscious activity that goes on I think… ![“There's a lot of unconscious activity that goes on I think in the composition of a poem.” quote by Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d52/billy-collins-3004_activity_there-s-a-lot-of-unconscious-activity-th_2222661.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d52/billy-collins-3004_activity_there-s-a-lot-of-unconscious-activity-th_2222661.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d52/billy-collins-3004_activity_there-s-a-lot-of-unconscious-activity-th_2222661.png) > “There's a lot of unconscious activity that goes on I think in the composition of a poem.” [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poems are shaped by subconscious mental processes that influence their formation beyond conscious control. **In simple terms:** Poems arise from subconscious activity. Key Takeaway Pay attention to your inner thoughts when writing. Themes creativity subconscious artistry Mood introspective thoughtful Type poetic philosophical When to use this quote - journaling - free writing - mindfulness meditation Key Concepts cognitive psychology poetics Questions to Reflect On - What hidden thoughts surface in your writing? - How can you channel them productively? A Different Perspective Subconscious bias may skew expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Poem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poem/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [When composing a verse let there not be a hair's breath separating your mind from what you write; composition of a poem must be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-composing-a-verse-let-there-not-be-a-hair-s-breath-separating/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Oil companies are radical because they're willing to alter the chemical composition of the atmosphere.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-mckibben/oil-companies-are-radical-because-they-re-willing-to-alter-the/) [Bill McKibben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-mckibben/) > [If you really want to be a good archaeologist, you have to understand ancient DNA; you have to understand chemical analysis to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-parcak/if-you-really-want-to-be-a-good-archaeologist-you-have-to-understand/) [Sarah Parcak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-parcak/) > [If measure and symmetry are absent from any composition in any degree, ruin awaits both the ingredients and the composition... 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You're actually saying things that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/i-think-clarity-is-the-real-risk-in-poetry-because-you-are-exposed/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [...pleasure, of course, is a slippery word… Our pleasures ultimately belong to us, not to the pleasure's so](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/pleasure-of-course-is-a-slippery-word-our-pleasures-ultimately-belong/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [I stared up at the ebbing quarter moon and the stars scattered like a handful of salt across the faraway sky...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/i-stared-up-at-the-ebbing-quarter-moon-and-the-stars-scattered-like-a/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [Death is what makes life fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/death-is-what-makes-life-fun/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [A trouble with poetry is the presence of presumptuousness in poetry, the sense you get in a poem that the poet takes for granted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/a-trouble-with-poetry-is-the-presence-of-presumptuousness-in-poetry/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [You come by your style by learning what to leave out. 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It's a great activity, it's a great sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mitrione/fighting-s-fun-man-it-s-a-great-activity-it-s-a-great-sport/) [Matt Mitrione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mitrione/) > [There were books everywhere in my house. Books were very present. I just loved books. I never understood reading as anything but a pleasurable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lucas/there-were-books-everywhere-in-my-house-books-were-very-present-i/) [Lisa Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lucas/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. 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