--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Poets are interested primarily in death…" description: "\"“Poets are interested primarily in death and commas. ”\" — Carolyn Kizer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/carolyn-kizer-31047_commas_poets-are-interested-primarily-in-death_2536062.png" --- # Poets are interested primarily in death and commas. ![“Poets are interested primarily in death and commas.” quote by Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/carolyn-kizer-31047_commas_poets-are-interested-primarily-in-death_2536062.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/carolyn-kizer-31047_commas_poets-are-interested-primarily-in-death_2536062.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/carolyn-kizer-31047_commas_poets-are-interested-primarily-in-death_2536062.png) > ““Poets are interested primarily in death and commas. ”” [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poets focus on mortality and the pauses that shape language. **In simple terms:** Poets think about death and punctuation. Key Takeaway Notice how endings shape meaning. Themes mortality language artistry Mood thoughtful poetic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing workshops - literary analysis - personal reflection Key Concepts poetry existentialism syntax Questions to Reflect On - What does the comma symbolize in your life? - How does confronting death influence creativity? A Different Perspective Poetry can be limited by overemphasis on gloom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poets/) ## Related quotes > [Poets are interested mostly in death and commas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/poets-are-interested-mostly-in-death-and-commas/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [Poets who are not interested in music are, or become, bad poets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-pound/poets-who-are-not-interested-in-music-are-or-become-bad-poets/) [Ezra Pound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-pound/) > [When you recite you're giving a performance, in the way that an actor or a singer performs, and some poets are not interested in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/when-you-recite-you-re-giving-a-performance-in-the-way-that-an-actor/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [I know that in some ways I operate from a kind of antiquated interest in imagery, while many contemporary poets are not so interested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-ronk/i-know-that-in-some-ways-i-operate-from-a-kind-of-antiquated-interest/) [Martha Ronk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-ronk/) > [“While the poets were above all interested in the fluid and fugitive aspects of Nature, others desired, by slogging away with a hatchet and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/novalis/while-the-poets-were-above-all-interested-in-the-fluid-and-fugitive/) [Novalis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/novalis/) > [Chicken pot pie sounds like such a good idea. If you add commas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/chicken-pot-pie-sounds-like-such-a-good-idea-if-you-add-commas/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Commas: commas for everyone!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-hughes/commas-commas-for-everyone/) Aaron Hughes > [Neither death nor wisdom has a full stop. There are only commas-no destinations, only waiting rooms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/neither-death-nor-wisdom-has-a-full-stop-there-are-only-commas-no/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“1) I’m, a, comma, whore. Apparently, I throw them around like confetti. Or glitter. The title of my next book: WHY COMMAS RULE THE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-derting/1-i-m-a-comma-whore-apparently-i-throw-them-around-like-confetti-or/) [Kimberly Derting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-derting/) > [Commas, like nuns, often travel in pairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/commas-like-nuns-often-travel-in-pairs/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [Anyone who finds himself putting down several commas close to one another should reflect that he is making himself disagreeable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-watson-fowler/anyone-who-finds-himself-putting-down-several-commas-close-to-one/) [Henry Watson Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-watson-fowler/) > [The rule is: don’t use commas like a stupid person. I mean it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/the-rule-is-don-t-use-commas-like-a-stupid-person-i-mean-it/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [“I tried to put the displacement between parenthesis, to put a last period in a long sentence of the sadness of history, personal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mourid-barghouti/i-tried-to-put-the-displacement-between-parenthesis-to-put-a-last/) [Mourid Barghouti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mourid-barghouti/) > [“...my war on commas. They are a pestilence. They must be stopped.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/my-war-on-commas-they-are-a-pestilence-they-must-be-stopped/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [“You mean that's your idea of desire, with all those commas?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palmer/you-mean-that-s-your-idea-of-desire-with-all-those-commas/) [Michael Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palmer/) ## More by Carolyn Kizer > [Poems, to me, do not come from ideas, they come from a series of images that you tuck away in the back of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/poems-to-me-do-not-come-from-ideas-they-come-from-a-series-of-images/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [She tended to be impatient with that sort of intellectual who, for all his brilliance, has never been able to arrive at the simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/she-tended-to-be-impatient-with-that-sort-of-intellectual-who-for-all/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [You cannot meet someone for a moment, or even cast eyes on someone in the street, without changing. That is my subject.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/you-cannot-meet-someone-for-a-moment-or-even-cast-eyes-on-someone-in/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [I happen to believe that there are a lot of good poets around at present, but a poet like Alex Kuo, who possesses a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/i-happen-to-believe-that-there-are-a-lot-of-good-poets-around-at/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [Our masks, always in peril of smearing or cracking, in need of continuous check in the mirror or silverware, keep us in thrall to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/our-masks-always-in-peril-of-smearing-or-cracking-in-need-of/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [“Food of Love Eating is touch carried to the bitter end. -Samuel Butler II I'm going to murder you with love; I'm going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/food-of-love-eating-is-touch-carried-to-the-bitter-end-samuel-butler/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [What is so marvelous about living today is that it is possible to extend, like a flower, spreading petals in all directions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/what-is-so-marvelous-about-living-today-is-that-it-is-possible-to/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [A poet, to whom no one cruel or imposing listens, Disdained by senates, whispers to your dust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/a-poet-to-whom-no-one-cruel-or-imposing-listens-disdained-by-senates/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [“from "Semele Recycled" But then your great voice rang out under the skies my name!-- and all those private names for the parts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/from-semele-recycled-but-then-your-great-voice-rang-out-under-the/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [In some ways painters have been more important in my life than writers. Painters teach you how to see—a faculty that usually isn’t highly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/in-some-ways-painters-have-been-more-important-in-my-life-than/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [A poet, to whom no one cruel and imposing listens, / Disdained by senates, whispers to your dust,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/a-poet-to-whom-no-one-cruel-and-imposing-listens-disdained-by-senates/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [Poets are interested mostly in death and commas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/poets-are-interested-mostly-in-death-and-commas/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [He said, "You have pigs in this poem; pigs are not poetic." I got up and walked out of that class and never went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/he-said-you-have-pigs-in-this-poem-pigs-are-not-poetic-i-got-up-and/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [We live in wonder, blaze in a cycle of passion and apprehension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/we-live-in-wonder-blaze-in-a-cycle-of-passion-and-apprehension/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) > [You write for the people in high school who ignored you. We all do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/you-write-for-the-people-in-high-school-who-ignored-you-we-all-do/) [Carolyn Kizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) [Explore all 17 Carolyn Kizer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/) ## More Commas quotes > [Anyone who finds himself putting down several commas close to one another should reflect that he is making himself disagreeable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-watson-fowler/anyone-who-finds-himself-putting-down-several-commas-close-to-one/) [Henry Watson Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-watson-fowler/) > [Chicken pot pie sounds like such a good idea. If you add commas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/chicken-pot-pie-sounds-like-such-a-good-idea-if-you-add-commas/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“...my war on commas. They are a pestilence. They must be stopped.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/my-war-on-commas-they-are-a-pestilence-they-must-be-stopped/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [“I tried to put the displacement between parenthesis, to put a last period in a long sentence of the sadness of history, personal and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mourid-barghouti/i-tried-to-put-the-displacement-between-parenthesis-to-put-a-last/) [Mourid Barghouti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mourid-barghouti/) > [The rule is: don’t use commas like a stupid person. I mean it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynne-truss/the-rule-is-don-t-use-commas-like-a-stupid-person-i-mean-it/) [Lynne Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynne-truss/) > [“You mean that's your idea of desire, with all those commas?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-palmer/you-mean-that-s-your-idea-of-desire-with-all-those-commas/) [Michael Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-palmer/) > [Commas, like nuns, often travel in pairs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-norris/commas-like-nuns-often-travel-in-pairs/) [Mary Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-norris/) > [“1) I’m, a, comma, whore. Apparently, I throw them around like confetti. Or glitter. The title of my next book: WHY COMMAS RULE THE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-derting/1-i-m-a-comma-whore-apparently-i-throw-them-around-like-confetti-or/) [Kimberly Derting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-derting/) > [Neither death nor wisdom has a full stop. There are only commas-no destinations, only waiting rooms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devdutt-pattanaik/neither-death-nor-wisdom-has-a-full-stop-there-are-only-commas-no/) [Devdutt Pattanaik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devdutt-pattanaik/) > [“Commas: commas for everyone!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-hughes/commas-commas-for-everyone/) Aaron Hughes > [I leave my editor to put the periods and commas in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-foley/i-leave-my-editor-to-put-the-periods-and-commas-in/) [Mick Foley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-foley/) > [The commas are the most useful and usable of all the stops. It is highly important to put them in place as you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/the-commas-are-the-most-useful-and-usable-of-all-the-stops-it-is/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [Now, you lose something in your life, or you come into a conflict, and there's gonna come a time that you're gonna know: There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/now-you-lose-something-in-your-life-or-you-come-into-a-conflict-and/) [Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/) > [“Smiles are commas and full stops... and few are those who still know how to put commas and full stops into their words.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malek-haddad/smiles-are-commas-and-full-stops-and-few-are-those-who-still-know-how/) Malek Haddad > [I hate commas in the wrong places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/i-hate-commas-in-the-wrong-places/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) Browse all 43 Commas quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Poets are interested primarily in death and commas. ”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carolyn Kizer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/poets-are-interested-primarily-in-death-and-commas/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Commas" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/poets-are-interested-primarily-in-death-and-commas/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/carolyn-kizer-31047_commas_poets-are-interested-primarily-in-death_2536062.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/carolyn-kizer-31047_commas_poets-are-interested-primarily-in-death_2536062.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a88/carolyn-kizer-31047_commas_poets-are-interested-primarily-in-death_2536062.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Poets are interested primarily in death and commas.” — Carolyn Kizer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Carolyn Kizer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-kizer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Poets are interested primarily in death...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/poets-are-interested-primarily-in-death-and-commas/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-kizer/poets-are-interested-primarily-in-death-and-commas/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```