Country Quote by Cate Marvin
“I prefer poems that occupy an imaginative sphere. When I lived in Cincinnati, I was occasionally referred to as an "Ohio Poet;" this made me uneasy, not only because I think of myself as a generally American poet but also because I like to think I write out of the country of my own mind.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Poetry Magazine interview, 2015
The poet values imagination over geographic labels, feeling uneasy when confined to a regional identity.
In simple terms: Poet wants to be seen as American, not just Ohio.
Key Takeaway
Embrace a broader creative identity.
Themes
identity
creativity
regionalism
Mood
reflective
introspective
Type
literary
personal
When to use this quote
- Literary festivals
- teaching workshops
- publishing submissions
- public readings
Key Concepts
American poetry
imaginary space
authorial self-concept
Questions to Reflect On
- How does place influence your poetic voice?
- Can you write beyond geographic expectations?
A Different Perspective
Regional labels can limit perception and marketability.
![“That country [Carthage] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws; and every step of intestine discord was marked by some deplorable victory of savage man over civilized society.” quote by Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/70c/edward-gibbon-710_barbarism_that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinkin_393.jpg)
