--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had feelings that I didn't know what to…" description: "\"I had feelings that I didn't know what to do with, and I felt better when I started writing them. I thought of it as poetry. I did notice girls really ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/edward-hirsch-1614_feelings_i-had-feelings-that-i-didn-t-know-what-t_89080.png" --- # I had feelings that I didn't know what to do with, and I… ![“I had feelings that I didn't know what to do with, and I felt better when I started writing them. I thought of it as poetry. I did notice girls really liked it. Better than football. They liked the combination.” quote by Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/edward-hirsch-1614_feelings_i-had-feelings-that-i-didn-t-know-what-t_89080.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/edward-hirsch-1614_feelings_i-had-feelings-that-i-didn-t-know-what-t_89080.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/721/edward-hirsch-1614_feelings_i-had-feelings-that-i-didn-t-know-what-t_89080.png) > “I had feelings that I didn't know what to do with, and I felt better when I started writing them. I thought of it as poetry. I did notice girls really liked it. Better than football. They liked the combination.” [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unprocessed emotions become clearer when expressed in writing, often turning into poetry that resonates socially. **In simple terms:** Writing as emotional catharsis Key Takeaway Writing transforms feelings into shared art Themes emotion expression poetry social connection Mood intimate playful Type personal anecdote reflection When to use this quote - personal journaling - poetry workshops - creative writing classes Key Concepts catharsis artistic creation Practical Applications - therapy - education Questions to Reflect On - Why do people gravitate toward poetic expression? - How does sharing personal writing affect relationships? A Different Perspective null ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Her love of words is a private passion - one she would rather not share. 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But the first one I did was after my mother died,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-kennedy/i-never-thought-i-d-be-doing-poetry-books-i-never-really-studied/) [Caroline Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-kennedy/) > [It's not surprising to me that books ended up playing a central role in my life, but it is somewhat mysterious that poetry did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/campbell-mcgrath/it-s-not-surprising-to-me-that-books-ended-up-playing-a-central-role/) [Campbell McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/campbell-mcgrath/) > [Was it only by dreaming or writing that I could find out what I thought?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-didion/was-it-only-by-dreaming-or-writing-that-i-could-find-out-what-i/) [Joan Didion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-didion/) > [“The Invisible Writer (Sonnet 2654) When I unveil a new book cover, you'd naturally assume that I know what I'm gonna write, but let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/the-invisible-writer-sonnet-2654-when-i-unveil-a-new-book-cover-you-d/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Expediency of literature, reason of literature, lawfulness of writing down a thought, is questioned; much is to say on both sides,and, while the fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/expediency-of-literature-reason-of-literature-lawfulness-of-writing/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [I realized Michael was right. I mean, I am always writing in this journal. And I do compose a lot of poetry, and write…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/i-realized-michael-was-right-i-mean-i-am-always-writing-in-this/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [Sometimes I would write while inspired and sometimes I would write through sheer force of will, and in revision the writing that I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-michaels/sometimes-i-would-write-while-inspired-and-sometimes-i-would-write/) [Jesse Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-michaels/) > [I didn't really think I would be a musician. I always thought I'd be a writer. I wanted to be a writer in college,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-siegel/i-didn-t-really-think-i-would-be-a-musician-i-always-thought-i-d-be-a/) [Leah Siegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-siegel/) > [ It was very interesting time to be in England. Even at that point \[John\] Lennon and \[Paul\] McCartney influenced my writing. I thought, "maybe… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-lightfoot/it-was-very-interesting-time-to-be-in-england-even-at-that-point-john/) [Gordon Lightfoot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-lightfoot/) > [For years following the death of my mother, I wanted to write about her. I started writing what I thought of as personal essays…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracy-k-smith/for-years-following-the-death-of-my-mother-i-wanted-to-write-about/) [Tracy K. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracy-k-smith/) ## More by Edward Hirsch > [And my experience is the best titles, for me, emerge in the process of writing. They don't usually come at the very beginning and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/and-my-experience-is-the-best-titles-for-me-emerge-in-the-process-of/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [“I did not know the work of mourning Is like carrying a bag of cement Up a mountain at night The mountaintop is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/i-did-not-know-the-work-of-mourning-is-like-carrying-a-bag-of-cement/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [“Fall" Fall, falling, fallen. That’s the way the season Changes its tense in the long-haired maples That dot the road; the veiny hand-shaped leaves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/fall-fall-falling-fallen-that-s-the-way-the-season-changes-its-tense/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [I find great consolation in having a lot of poetry books around. I believe that writing poetry and reading it are deeply intertwined. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/i-find-great-consolation-in-having-a-lot-of-poetry-books-around-i/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [I think in terms of educating a group of readers, MFA programs are very good. 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It is not a career but a calling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/poetry-is-a-vocation-it-is-not-a-career-but-a-calling/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [You're shadowed by your own dream, especially as you get older, of trying to create something that will last in poetry. And so, you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/you-re-shadowed-by-your-own-dream-especially-as-you-get-older-of/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [The attention deficit disorder of the culture is very distressing in America now and I think it puts a lot of things at risk,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/the-attention-deficit-disorder-of-the-culture-is-very-distressing-in/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [Now, as I've gotten older I've been able to write more quickly. Sometimes I get in the space of something and I can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/now-as-i-ve-gotten-older-i-ve-been-able-to-write-more-quickly/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [Poetry takes courage because you have to face things and you try to articulate how you feel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/poetry-takes-courage-because-you-have-to-face-things-and-you-try-to/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [As soon as something happens to us in America, everyone begins talking about healing. But before you heal, you have to mourn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/as-soon-as-something-happens-to-us-in-america-everyone-begins-talking/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) [Explore all 222 Edward Hirsch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) ## More Feelings quotes > [I have a strong feeling about this quick movement and changing of society and populations growing - something scary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiroshi-sugimoto/i-have-a-strong-feeling-about-this-quick-movement-and-changing-of/) [Hiroshi Sugimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiroshi-sugimoto/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [We never realize the importance of any our action until we be the hunt of same situation in reaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fadi/we-never-realize-the-importance-of-any-our-action-until-we-be-the/) [Fadi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fadi/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [My feeling has always been that 'Good Eats' would have never happened had it been left to a committee.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alton-brown/my-feeling-has-always-been-that-good-eats-would-have-never-happened/) [Alton Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alton-brown/) > [Jobs and money are never the primary cause of stress. Thinking, negative thinking causes stress. The real cause of all problems lie in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/jobs-and-money-are-never-the-primary-cause-of-stress-thinking/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [If someone really loves you, no matter how many other people they meet, their feelings for you wouldn't change. A real lover cant be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-someone-really-loves-you-no-matter-how-many-other-people-they-meet/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [“I urge you: don't cut short these thought-trains of yours. Follow them through to their end. Your thoughts and your feelings. Follow them through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-m-coetzee/i-urge-you-don-t-cut-short-these-thought-trains-of-yours-follow-them/) [J.M. Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-m-coetzee/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) Jennifer Siebel Newsom > [Good girls don't hurt other people's feelings. Good girls are not overly aggressive, competitive, or boastful. Good girls please others. 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