---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know why people write poetry,\" Javi…"
description: "\"“I know why people write poetry,\" Javi says. \"Because they're a bunch of emotional saps with nothin' better to do than whine about ex-girlfriends and d..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/colleen-hoover-124_country_i-know-why-people-write-poetry-javi-says_205109.jpg"
---

#  I know why people write poetry," Javi says. "Because…

![“I know why people write poetry,&quot; Javi says. &quot;Because they're a bunch of emotional saps with nothin' better to do than whine about ex-girlfriends and dead dogs.&quot; &quot;You're wrong, Javi,&quot; I say. &quot;That's called country music.” quote by Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/colleen-hoover-124_country_i-know-why-people-write-poetry-javi-says_205109.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/colleen-hoover-124_country_i-know-why-people-write-poetry-javi-says_205109.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/colleen-hoover-124_country_i-know-why-people-write-poetry-javi-says_205109.jpg)

> ““I know why people write poetry," Javi says. "Because they're a bunch of emotional saps with nothin' better to do than whine about ex-girlfriends and dead dogs." "You're wrong, Javi," I say. "That's called country music.””

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker mocks poetry as overly emotional, then flips the criticism to country music, highlighting how art forms are dismissed as trivial.

**In simple terms:** People often belittle creative expression as sentimental.

Key Takeaway

Recognize value in all artistic outlets.

Themes

creativity criticism artistic value

Mood

defensive playful

Type

observational humorous

When to use this quote

- listening to music
- writing poetry
- discussing art
- defending creative work

Key Concepts

subjectivity cultural bias

Questions to Reflect On

- What makes a genre meaningful to you?
- How do stereotypes affect artistic appreciation?

A Different Perspective

Not all art is frivolous; some find deep meaning in simple expression.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Country music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country-music/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/)

## Related quotes

> [“What you’re feeling now, and the person you may reach with your words five years from now-that's why you write poetry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/what-you-re-feeling-now-and-the-person-you-may-reach-with-your-words/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“So what if the heartaches you wrote last year isn't what you're feeling today. it may be exactly what the person in the front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/so-what-if-the-heartaches-you-wrote-last-year-isn-t-what-you-re/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“If you yourself paint or write poetry perhaps, you'll know how it feels to want to produce something ad be frustrated; your mind sulks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-lillington/if-you-yourself-paint-or-write-poetry-perhaps-you-ll-know-how-it/)

Kenneth Lillington

> [I was born in New Orleans, but I grew up in Hawaii. That was a paradise. That's a paradise I keep inside of me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-hamby/i-was-born-in-new-orleans-but-i-grew-up-in-hawaii-that-was-a-paradise/)

[Barbara Hamby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-hamby/)

> [The question does arise if how and why to write poetry in this time. It feels both completely essential and also quite difficult. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-zapruder/the-question-does-arise-if-how-and-why-to-write-poetry-in-this-time/)

[Matthew Zapruder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-zapruder/)

> [I had hoped to be a poet, and for a long time I tried to write poetry. My first published pieces were poems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-lock/i-had-hoped-to-be-a-poet-and-for-a-long-time-i-tried-to-write-poetry/)

[Norman Lock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-lock/)

> ["I want to be always happy," Maxine Hong Kingston announces . But, as this interview makes clear, for me, it was the desire to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-geok-lin-lim/i-want-to-be-always-happy-maxine-hong-kingston-announces-but-as-this/)

[Shirley Geok-lin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-geok-lin-lim/)

> [“Years ago I used to pick a word of the day randomly out of an dictionary/thesaurus to write poetry. I learned then to use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragonpoetikfly/years-ago-i-used-to-pick-a-word-of-the-day-randomly-out-of-an/)

DragonPoetikFly

> [It is true that I didn't write any poetry between 1995 and 2011. The reason for this was probably because I had stayed away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuriy-tarnawsky/it-is-true-that-i-didn-t-write-any-poetry-between-1995-and-2011-the/)

[Yuriy Tarnawsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuriy-tarnawsky/)

> [I write poetry to figure things out. It's what I use as a navigating tool in my life, so when there's something that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/i-write-poetry-to-figure-things-out-it-s-what-i-use-as-a-navigating/)

[Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/)

> [I would love to write a script, for sure. I write poetry and songs. But writing a script needs a lot of time and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayushmann-khurrana/i-would-love-to-write-a-script-for-sure-i-write-poetry-and-songs-but/)

[Ayushmann Khurrana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayushmann-khurrana/)

> [If you want to write poetry, you must have poems that deeply move you. Poems you can't live without. I think of a poem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-fletcher/if-you-want-to-write-poetry-you-must-have-poems-that-deeply-move-you/)

[Ralph Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-fletcher/)

> [I don’t write poetry when I wish, I write when I can’t, when my larynx is flooded and my throat is shut.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kamienska/i-don-t-write-poetry-when-i-wish-i-write-when-i-can-t-when-my-larynx/)

[Anna Kamienska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kamienska/)

> [I sing, I clean house, I write poetry. I cry. And I tell everyone I can, "I Believe in YOU."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-lim/i-sing-i-clean-house-i-write-poetry-i-cry-and-i-tell-everyone-i-can-i/)

[Robin Lim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-lim/)

> [If I wouldn't of spent so much time shooting spit wads at my English teacher I'd know how to punctuate good thing I normally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-victor-paskavich/if-i-wouldn-t-of-spent-so-much-time-shooting-spit-wads-at-my-english/)

[Stanley Victor Paskavich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-victor-paskavich/)

## More by Colleen Hoover

> [Please don't allow anyone to make you feel less than what you are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/please-don-t-allow-anyone-to-make-you-feel-less-than-what-you-are/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“Some people they grow wiser as they grow older. Unfortunately, most people just grow older.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/some-people-they-grow-wiser-as-they-grow-older-unfortunately-most/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“You can't get mad at a real ending. Some of them are ugly. It's the fake happily ever afters that should piss you off.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/you-can-t-get-mad-at-a-real-ending-some-of-them-are-ugly-it-s-the/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“I’ve been looking for you my whole damn life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/i-ve-been-looking-for-you-my-whole-damn-life/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“I tilt my head and look at him. He's watching me, but I can't tell what his face is trying to convey. If I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/i-tilt-my-head-and-look-at-him-he-s-watching-me-but-i-can-t-tell-what/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [Love and hate, despite their polar opposites, are both feelings that are induced by passion. I can handle that. It's the indifference I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/love-and-hate-despite-their-polar-opposites-are-both-feelings-that/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“We'll either come to a mutual understanding of one another, or he's going to kill me and chop me up into tiny pieces and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/we-ll-either-come-to-a-mutual-understanding-of-one-another-or-he-s/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“We kiss until the alarm sounds off on my phone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/we-kiss-until-the-alarm-sounds-off-on-my-phone/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“The sky is always beautiful. Even when it's dark or rainy or cloudy, it's still beautiful to look at. It's my favourite thing because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/the-sky-is-always-beautiful-even-when-it-s-dark-or-rainy-or-cloudy-it/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“Ridge: Oh, and btw, I didn't write that on your forehead. What? I run to the dresser and look in the mirror for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/ridge-oh-and-btw-i-didn-t-write-that-on-your-forehead-what-i-run-to/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“I feel like my maybe someday just became my right now .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/i-feel-like-my-maybe-someday-just-became-my-right-now/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“That's all I need," I say. "Well...I need the lamp. And the astray. And the remote control. And the paddleball game. And you, Dean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/that-s-all-i-need-i-say-well-i-need-the-lamp-and-the-astray-and-the/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“Because if you've never felt anything when someone's kissed you, then no one's ever really kissed you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/because-if-you-ve-never-felt-anything-when-someone-s-kissed-you-then/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“Tate lays her head on my arm, and we both watch her. Our daughter. I love you so much, Sam. I’m looking down at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/tate-lays-her-head-on-my-arm-and-we-both-watch-her-our-daughter-i/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

> [“I have been entertaining the idea, Sky. Believe me. It’s just a huge step that can’t be undone once it’s taken.” “What if it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/i-have-been-entertaining-the-idea-sky-believe-me-it-s-just-a-huge/)

[Colleen Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

[Explore all 1,065 Colleen Hoover quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/)

## More Country quotes

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [ That country \[Carthage\] was rapidly sinking into the state of barbarism from whence it had been raised by the Phoenician colonies and Roman laws;… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-gibbon/that-country-carthage-was-rapidly-sinking-into-the-state-of-barbarism/)

[Edward Gibbon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-gibbon/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [For the Scottish government, the practice of having meetings in different parts of the country is well established, but for the U.K. government, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-sturgeon/for-the-scottish-government-the-practice-of-having-meetings-in/)

[Nicola Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-sturgeon/)

> [There's no reason someone who has fought for their country should be homeless of jobless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kyle/there-s-no-reason-someone-who-has-fought-for-their-country-should-be/)

[Chris Kyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kyle/)

> [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [It's very nice to be a rebel saying, 'I stand on my principles,' but if in fact that's not going to have any impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-grieve/it-s-very-nice-to-be-a-rebel-saying-i-stand-on-my-principles-but-if/)

[Dominic Grieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-grieve/)

> [Most paper money initially existed as a substitute for gold. That's what gave it value. But right now what gives a currency value is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/most-paper-money-initially-existed-as-a-substitute-for-gold-that-s/)

[Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/)

> [That's what this country is. It's made up of immigrants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bria-vinaite/that-s-what-this-country-is-it-s-made-up-of-immigrants/)

[Bria Vinaite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bria-vinaite/)

> [You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/you-of-canada-are-building-a-magnificent-record-of-achievement-my/)

[Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/)

> [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/)

[Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/)

> [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/)

[Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/)

> [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/)

[George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/)

> ['Lovecraft Country' is reclaiming all these pulp genres for people of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/lovecraft-country-is-reclaiming-all-these-pulp-genres-for-people-of/)

[Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/)

> [No judge can stop us from praying for our country and I pray that on May 6, millions of Americans will join me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-graham/no-judge-can-stop-us-from-praying-for-our-country-and-i-pray-that-on/)

[Franklin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-graham/)

[Browse all 29,881 Country quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“I know why people write poetry,\" Javi says. \"Because they're a bunch of emotional saps with nothin' better to do than whine about ex-girlfriends and dead dogs.\" \"You're wrong, Javi,\" I say. \"That's called country music.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Colleen Hoover"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/i-know-why-people-write-poetry-javi-says-because-they-re-a-bunch-of/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Country"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/i-know-why-people-write-poetry-javi-says-because-they-re-a-bunch-of/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/colleen-hoover-124_country_i-know-why-people-write-poetry-javi-says_205109.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/colleen-hoover-124_country_i-know-why-people-write-poetry-javi-says_205109.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e77/colleen-hoover-124_country_i-know-why-people-write-poetry-javi-says_205109.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I know why people write poetry,\" Javi says. \"Because they're a bunch of emotional saps with nothin' better…” — Colleen Hoover",
                "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": "Colleen Hoover",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-hoover/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“I know why people write poetry,\"...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/i-know-why-people-write-poetry-javi-says-because-they-re-a-bunch-of/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-hoover/i-know-why-people-write-poetry-javi-says-because-they-re-a-bunch-of/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
