--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: W.S Merwin says \"after three days of…" description: "\"W.S Merwin says \"after three days of rain\" and I write \"After Twelve Days of Rain.\" I like his quietude. I admire his ability to be simple without bein..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/dorianne-laux-12252_ability_w-s-merwin-says-after-three-days-of-rain_700969.png" --- # W.S Merwin says "after three days of rain" and I write… ![“W.S Merwin says "after three days of rain" and I write "After Twelve Days of Rain." I like his quietude. I admire his ability to be simple without being simplistic.” quote by Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/dorianne-laux-12252_ability_w-s-merwin-says-after-three-days-of-rain_700969.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/dorianne-laux-12252_ability_w-s-merwin-says-after-three-days-of-rain_700969.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/dorianne-laux-12252_ability_w-s-merwin-says-after-three-days-of-rain_700969.png) > “W.S Merwin says "after three days of rain" and I write "After Twelve Days of Rain." I like his quietude. I admire his ability to be simple without being simplistic.” [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The writer admires Merwin’s quiet simplicity and seeks to emulate it by expanding the image of rain, highlighting how restraint can deepen emotional resonance. **In simple terms:** Quiet simplicity can be deep without being simplistic. Key Takeaway Embrace restraint to amplify impact. Themes simplicity quietude creativity imitation Mood contemplative inspired Type literary reflective When to use this quote - writing poetry - personal reflection - teaching writing Key Concepts minimalism aesthetic restraint influence Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance simplicity with depth? - When does imitation become loss of voice? A Different Perspective Simple restraint may limit expressive breadth if over‑applied. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Admire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admire/) [Days Rain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/days-rain-983236/) [Merwin Says](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/merwin-says-5549318/) [Rain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rain/) [Rain Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rain-write-5549317/) [Says Days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says-days-4023939/) [Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple/) [Three](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/three/) [Twelve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twelve/) [Write Days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-days-710852/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Liberty On my notebooks from school On my desk and the trees On the sand, on the snow I write your name On every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-eluard/liberty-on-my-notebooks-from-school-on-my-desk-and-the-trees-on-the/) [Paul Éluard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-eluard/) > [It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. My mom says some days are like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-viorst/it-has-been-a-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-day-my-mom-says-some/) [Judith Viorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-viorst/) > [“my words are like the sun and Cassidy is like a sunflower after ten straight days of rain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-regnery/my-words-are-like-the-sun-and-cassidy-is-like-a-sunflower-after-ten/) [Katy Regnery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-regnery/) > [“For every day that there is sunshine, there will be days of rain, it's how we dance within them both that shows our love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-tolbert/for-every-day-that-there-is-sunshine-there-will-be-days-of-rain-it-s/) [Joey Tolbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-tolbert/) > [“Weekend means: two days of sunshine will equal five days of rain. Pleasure is always followed by pain and vice versa.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/weekend-means-two-days-of-sunshine-will-equal-five-days-of-rain/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [“I figure a man's character is like his coat, Flinn. Nobody knows if it's any damn good or not, until he's been a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-jakober/i-figure-a-man-s-character-is-like-his-coat-flinn-nobody-knows-if-it/) [Marie Jakober](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-jakober/) > [“Some days the rain just seemed to fit, and today felt like one of those days. The morning sky was dark, layered with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-derting/some-days-the-rain-just-seemed-to-fit-and-today-felt-like-one-of/) [Kimberly Derting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-derting/) > [Every fool becomes a philosopher after ten days of rain, so I spare you the inside view of my heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-hooper-adams/every-fool-becomes-a-philosopher-after-ten-days-of-rain-so-i-spare/) [Marian Hooper Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-hooper-adams/) > [“He hated this time of year. Every day was shorter than the last. Night began to fall in late afternoon. Winter could arrive on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tami-hoag/he-hated-this-time-of-year-every-day-was-shorter-than-the-last-night/) [Tami Hoag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tami-hoag/) > [Some days there will be rain, but you cant let that get you down because you have to remember after it rains, a rainbow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/junie-morgan/some-days-there-will-be-rain-but-you-cant-let-that-get-you-down/) [Junie Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/junie-morgan/) > [You could always make me laugh, you listened to my pain, you turned my nights into sunshine when my days had often been rain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-whitaker/you-could-always-make-me-laugh-you-listened-to-my-pain-you-turned-my/) [Dave Whitaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-whitaker/) > [Remember something, after it rains, there will always be sunshine. It may rain for days, it can rain for weeks, but you will always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naquitta-faith/remember-something-after-it-rains-there-will-always-be-sunshine-it/) [Naquitta Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naquitta-faith/) > [You can find me grinding on the days it rain, and tha's because I knw tha sun will raise a-gain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-big/you-can-find-me-grinding-on-the-days-it-rain-and-tha-s-because-i-knw/) [Rose Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-big/) > [One day, I can come up with 50 content ideas, and I'm like, 'Boom, I want to do this idea, this idea, this idea.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jojo-siwa/one-day-i-can-come-up-with-50-content-ideas-and-i-m-like-boom-i-want/) [JoJo Siwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jojo-siwa/) > [I write 3-4 days a week, 4-5 hours at a time (with lots of breaks). My goal is 2000 words when I sit down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/i-write-3-4-days-a-week-4-5-hours-at-a-time-with-lots-of-breaks-my/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) ## More by Dorianne Laux > [We aren't suggesting that mental instability or unhappiness makes one a better poet, or a poet at all; and contrary to the romantic notion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/we-aren-t-suggesting-that-mental-instability-or-unhappiness-makes-one/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [“How many losses does it take to stop a heart, to lay waste to the vocabularies of desire?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/how-many-losses-does-it-take-to-stop-a-heart-to-lay-waste-to-the/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [And I saw it didn't matter who had loved me or who I loved. I was alone. The black oily asphalt, the slick beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/and-i-saw-it-didn-t-matter-who-had-loved-me-or-who-i-loved-i-was/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [The reason I started writing was because I was a little kid in San Diego who was getting beaten up by her dad and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/the-reason-i-started-writing-was-because-i-was-a-little-kid-in-san/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [I would say my life experiences are my poetry, whether I'm writing about those actual, factual experiences or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/i-would-say-my-life-experiences-are-my-poetry-whether-i-m-writing/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [Good writing works from a simple premise: your experience is not yours alone, but in some sense a metaphor for everyone's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/good-writing-works-from-a-simple-premise-your-experience-is-not-yours/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [Every poem I write falls short in some important way. But I go on trying to write the one that won’t.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/every-poem-i-write-falls-short-in-some-important-way-but-i-go-on/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [We're all writing out of a wound, and that's where our song comes from. The wound is singing. We're singing back to those who've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/we-re-all-writing-out-of-a-wound-and-that-s-where-our-song-comes-from/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [You are not your poetry. Your self-esteem shouldn't depend on whether you publish, or whether some editor or writer you admire thinks you're any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/you-are-not-your-poetry-your-self-esteem-shouldn-t-depend-on-whether/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [Someone spoke to me last night, told me the truth. Just a few words, but I recognized it. I knew I should make myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/someone-spoke-to-me-last-night-told-me-the-truth-just-a-few-words-but/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [ It's difficult to talk about \[W.S.\] Merwin's poems, as it's hard to talk about a feeling or a smell. It is what it is,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/it-s-difficult-to-talk-about-w-s-merwin-s-poems-as-it-s-hard-to-talk/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [We continue to speak, if only in whispers, to something inside us that longs to be named.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/we-continue-to-speak-if-only-in-whispers-to-something-inside-us-that/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [If you want to be a writer in the world you really have to sit down and say, 'Why do I want to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/if-you-want-to-be-a-writer-in-the-world-you-really-have-to-sit-down/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [Who you are contributes to your poetry in a number of important ways, but you shouldn't identify with your poems so closely that when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/who-you-are-contributes-to-your-poetry-in-a-number-of-important-ways/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [I love people and psychology. As a writer, I’m not so interested in Fred getting from the living room to the car. I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/i-love-people-and-psychology-as-a-writer-i-m-not-so-interested-in/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) [Explore all 55 Dorianne Laux quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) ## More Ability quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [The ability of the gospel to unite us on common strengths and common truths is one of the great miracles . . . of the gospel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-ability-of-the-gospel-to-unite-us-on-common-strengths-and-common/) [Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Take what I cannot give: my heart, body, thoughts, time, abilities, money, health, strength,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-prentiss/bring-into-captivity-every-thought-to-the-obedience-of-christ-take/) [Elizabeth Prentiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-prentiss/) > [You can only do the work to the very best of your ability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christine-baranski/you-can-only-do-the-work-to-the-very-best-of-your-ability/) [Christine Baranski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christine-baranski/) > [Judge a person not by his ability to make money but by his ability to retain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/judge-a-person-not-by-his-ability-to-make-money-but-by-his-ability-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Bobby had faith in my ability as a singer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-london/bobby-had-faith-in-my-ability-as-a-singer/) [Julie London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-london/) [Browse all 9,990 Ability quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "W.S Merwin says \"after three days of rain\" and I write \"After Twelve Days of Rain.\" I like his quietude. I admire his ability to be simple without being simplistic.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dorianne Laux" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/w-s-merwin-says-after-three-days-of-rain-and-i-write-after-twelve/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ability" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/w-s-merwin-says-after-three-days-of-rain-and-i-write-after-twelve/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/dorianne-laux-12252_ability_w-s-merwin-says-after-three-days-of-rain_700969.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/dorianne-laux-12252_ability_w-s-merwin-says-after-three-days-of-rain_700969.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8f1/dorianne-laux-12252_ability_w-s-merwin-says-after-three-days-of-rain_700969.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“W.S Merwin says \"after three days of rain\" and I write \"After Twelve Days of Rain.\" I like his quietude. I…” — Dorianne Laux", "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": "Dorianne Laux", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "W.S Merwin says \"after three days...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/w-s-merwin-says-after-three-days-of-rain-and-i-write-after-twelve/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/w-s-merwin-says-after-three-days-of-rain-and-i-write-after-twelve/#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 } } ] } ```