---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: At Delphi I prayed to Apollo that he…"
description: "\"At Delphi I prayed to Apollo that he maintain in me the flame of the poem and I drank of the brackish spring there.\" — Denise Levertov"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/denise-levertov-4487_apollo_at-delphi-i-prayed-to-apollo-that-he-mai_1896241.png"
---

#  At Delphi I prayed to Apollo that he maintain in me the…

![“At Delphi I prayed to Apollo that he maintain in me the flame of the poem and I drank of the brackish spring there.” quote by Denise Levertov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/denise-levertov-4487_apollo_at-delphi-i-prayed-to-apollo-that-he-mai_1896241.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/denise-levertov-4487_apollo_at-delphi-i-prayed-to-apollo-that-he-mai_1896241.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/db1/denise-levertov-4487_apollo_at-delphi-i-prayed-to-apollo-that-he-mai_1896241.png)

> “At Delphi I prayed to Apollo that he maintain in me the flame of the poem and I drank of the brackish spring there.”

[Denise Levertov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-levertov/)

## About This Quote

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

The poet invokes ancient ritual at Delphi, seeking divine inspiration and nourishment from the sacred spring.

**In simple terms:** Seeking divine inspiration through ancient rites.

Key Takeaway

Honor ancient sources of creative fire.

Themes

spirituality inspiration ritual nature

Mood

reflective contemplative

Type

poetic philosophical

When to use this quote

- Writing workshops
- personal meditation
- ritual practice

Key Concepts

mythic longing creative communion poetic pilgrimage

Questions to Reflect On

- What personal "flame" do you seek?
- How does place influence creative energy?

A Different Perspective

The metaphor may be inaccessible to modern readers.

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[Apollo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apollo/) [Delphi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/delphi/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Spring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spring/)

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