---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always been - as a teacher, as…"
description: "\"I've always been - as a teacher, as graduate student, as a student, and I think, really, as a child - I've been interested in poems, but not so much fo..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/david-ferry-67244_always_i-ve-always-been-as-a-teacher-as-graduat_1592783.jpg"
---

#  I've always been - as a teacher, as graduate student, as a…

![“I've always been - as a teacher, as graduate student, as a student, and I think, really, as a child - I've been interested in poems, but not so much for what the take home pay is, what you might sum up from them in moral or intellectual terms or whatever, but what's in the certain lines and how…” quote by David Ferry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/david-ferry-67244_always_i-ve-always-been-as-a-teacher-as-graduat_1592783.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/david-ferry-67244_always_i-ve-always-been-as-a-teacher-as-graduat_1592783.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f00/david-ferry-67244_always_i-ve-always-been-as-a-teacher-as-graduat_1592783.jpg)

> “I've always been - as a teacher, as graduate student, as a student, and I think, really, as a child - I've been interested in poems, but not so much for what the take home pay is, what you might sum up from them in moral or intellectual terms or whatever, but what's in the certain lines and how lines relates to other lines.”

David Ferry

## About This Quote

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

Poetry is valued for its internal resonance and interconnections, not for monetary or didactic purposes.

**In simple terms:** Poetry matters for its inner connections.

Key Takeaway

Seek meaning in how lines relate.

Themes

art poetry reflection

Mood

contemplative introspective

Type

literary educational

When to use this quote

- reading poems
- teaching literature
- writing verse

Key Concepts

Intertextuality aesthetic value

Questions to Reflect On

- What personal experiences do you bring to a poem?
- How do you balance emotional impact with intellectual analysis?

A Different Perspective

Focusing solely on internal links may overlook cultural context.

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[Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Graduate student](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/graduate-student/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Poems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poems/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Student](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/student/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/)

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Browse all 36,048 Always quotes

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