--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Poetry is either something that lives…" description: "\"Poetry is either something that lives like fire inside you -- like music to the musician or Marxism to the Communist -- or else it is nothing, an empty..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/430/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_bores_poetry-is-either-something-that-lives-li_1200068.jpg" --- # Poetry is either something that lives like fire inside you… ![“Poetry is either something that lives like fire inside you -- like music to the musician or Marxism to the Communist -- or else it is nothing, an empty, formalized bore around which pedants can endlessly drone their notes and explanations.” quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/430/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_bores_poetry-is-either-something-that-lives-li_1200068.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/430/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_bores_poetry-is-either-something-that-lives-li_1200068.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/430/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_bores_poetry-is-either-something-that-lives-li_1200068.jpg) > “Poetry is either something that lives like fire inside you -- like music to the musician or Marxism to the Communist -- or else it is nothing, an empty, formalized bore around which pedants can endlessly drone their notes and explanations.” [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poetry must be passionately lived or it becomes sterile, academic, and meaningless. **In simple terms:** Poetry needs fire or it's empty. Key Takeaway Seek authentic, lived experience in creative work. Themes art authenticity passion critique Mood reflective critical Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - creative writing - teaching literature - personal reflection - art criticism Key Concepts Aesthetic theory existentialism literary criticism Questions to Reflect On - What does poetry mean to you personally? - Can structure coexist with passion in art? A Different Perspective Not everyone resonates with intense passion; some value form over feeling. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Communist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communist/) [Drones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drones/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Fire inside](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire-inside/) [Marxism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marxism/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Musician](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/musician/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) ## Related quotes > [Poetry is either something that lives like fire inside you](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/poetry-is-either-something-that-lives-like-fire-inside-you/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“The greatest poet in the English language found his poetry where poetry is found: in the lives of the people. He could have done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-baldwin/the-greatest-poet-in-the-english-language-found-his-poetry-where/) [James Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-baldwin/) > [“My poetry lives in the spaces of time, in between time, in time out. It is not a constant vibe; I catch it like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tonny-brown/my-poetry-lives-in-the-spaces-of-time-in-between-time-in-time-out-it/) [Tonny Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tonny-brown/) > [“No poetry lives which reflects only the cheerful emotions. Our sweetest songs are those which tell of saddest thought. We can bring harmony out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-stephen/no-poetry-lives-which-reflects-only-the-cheerful-emotions-our/) [Leslie Stephen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-stephen/) > [I think poetry always lives its life, and people come to it and people go away from it, 'people' in the sense of larger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-k-williams/i-think-poetry-always-lives-its-life-and-people-come-to-it-and-people/) [C. K. Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-k-williams/) > [I've been surprised to learn how many people love poetry. It's beautiful to see that people want poetry in their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peleg-top/i-ve-been-surprised-to-learn-how-many-people-love-poetry-it-s/) [Peleg Top](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peleg-top/) > [Pedants make a great rout about criticism, as if it were a science of great depth, and required much pains and knowledge--criticism however is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-walpole/pedants-make-a-great-rout-about-criticism-as-if-it-were-a-science-of/) [Horace Walpole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-walpole/) > [In theory I am an agnostic, but pending the appearance of rational evidence I must be classed, practically and provisionally, as an atheist. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-p-lovecraft/in-theory-i-am-an-agnostic-but-pending-the-appearance-of-rational-2/) [H. P. Lovecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-p-lovecraft/) > [Robespierre, this pedant of freedom!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-grillparzer/robespierre-this-pedant-of-freedom/) [Franz Grillparzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-grillparzer/) > [All discourse of which others cannot partake is not only an irksome usurpation of the time devoted to pleasure and entertainment, but, what never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/all-discourse-of-which-others-cannot-partake-is-not-only-an-irksome/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [An artist may visit a museum but only a pedant can live there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/an-artist-may-visit-a-museum-but-only-a-pedant-can-live-there/) [George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/) > [To expect an author to talk as he writes is ridiculous; or even if he did you would find fault with him as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/to-expect-an-author-to-talk-as-he-writes-is-ridiculous-or-even-if-he/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [My fellow critics and I may occasionally fault a movie for departing, in detail or in spirit, from its literary source, but the grousing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-o-scott/my-fellow-critics-and-i-may-occasionally-fault-a-movie-for-departing/) [A. O. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-o-scott/) > [History and war are cruel pedants. Those who know too little of the former are likely to have too much of the latter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/history-and-war-are-cruel-pedants-those-who-know-too-little-of-the/) [Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/) > [O Logic: born gatekeeper to the Temple of Science, victim of capricious destiny: doomed hitherto to be the drudge of pedants: come to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/o-logic-born-gatekeeper-to-the-temple-of-science-victim-of-capricious/) [Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) ## More by F. Scott Fitzgerald > [“His dream must have seemed so close that he could hardly fail to grasp it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/his-dream-must-have-seemed-so-close-that-he-could-hardly-fail-to/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“There was a ripe mystery about it, a hint of bedrooms upstairs more beautiful and cool than other bedrooms, of gay and radiant activities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/there-was-a-ripe-mystery-about-it-a-hint-of-bedrooms-upstairs-more/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I want you to take a red-hot bath as hot as you can bear it, and just relax your nerves. You can read in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-want-you-to-take-a-red-hot-bath-as-hot-as-you-can-bear-it-and-just/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [Tireless passion, fierce jealousy, longing to possess and crush-these alone were left of all his love for Rosalind; these remained to him as payment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/tireless-passion-fierce-jealousy-longing-to-possess-and-crush-these/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [I found something! Courage--just that; courage as a rule of life and something to cling to always.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-found-something-courage-just-that-courage-as-a-rule-of-life-and/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Life is a series of successful gestures...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/life-is-a-series-of-successful-gestures/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“Another dawn flung itself across the river; a belated taxi hurried along the street, its lamps still shining like burning eyes in a face…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/another-dawn-flung-itself-across-the-river-a-belated-taxi-hurried/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“She plucked a twig and broke it, but she found no spring in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/she-plucked-a-twig-and-broke-it-but-she-found-no-spring-in-it/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“I'm one of those people who go through the world giving other people thrills but getting few myself except those I read into men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/i-m-one-of-those-people-who-go-through-the-world-giving-other-people/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [The Montana sunset lay between the mountains like a giant bruise from which darkened arteries spread across a poisoned sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-montana-sunset-lay-between-the-mountains-like-a-giant-bruise-from/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“You loved me too?" he repeated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/you-loved-me-too-he-repeated/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“He was good looking, "sort of distinguished when he wants to be", had a line, and was properly inconstant. In fact, he summed up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/he-was-good-looking-sort-of-distinguished-when-he-wants-to-be-had-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [What are you going to do? "Can't say - run for president, write -" "Greenwich Village?" "Good heavens, no - I said write -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/what-are-you-going-to-do-can-t-say-run-for-president-write-greenwich/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“The latter was considered a good fellow and a fine leader, until a year later, when he disappeared with a mess fund of eleven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/the-latter-was-considered-a-good-fellow-and-a-fine-leader-until-a/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) > [“It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And then one fine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/it-eluded-us-then-but-that-s-no-matter-tomorrow-we-will-run-faster/) [F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) [Explore all 1,568 F. Scott Fitzgerald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/) ## More Bores quotes > [It's a bore - B-O-R-E - when you find you've begun to rot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katharine-hepburn/it-s-a-bore-b-o-r-e-when-you-find-you-ve-begun-to-rot/) [Katharine Hepburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katharine-hepburn/) > [Redtail was a brave warrior. His loyalty to ThunderClan could never be doubted. I always relied on his judgment, for it bore witness to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-hunter/redtail-was-a-brave-warrior-his-loyalty-to-thunderclan-could-never-be/) [Erin Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-hunter/) > [We are almost always wearied in the company of persons with whom we are not permitted to be weary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/we-are-almost-always-wearied-in-the-company-of-persons-with-whom-we/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [The poet's first rule must be never to bore his readers; and his best way of keeping this rule is never to bore himself-which,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-graves/the-poet-s-first-rule-must-be-never-to-bore-his-readers-and-his-best/) [Robert Graves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-graves/) > [Attractive Etonians who go straight onto the Stock Exchange missing University on their fathers advice: the raw material of the great bores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-madan/attractive-etonians-who-go-straight-onto-the-stock-exchange-missing/) [Geoffrey Madan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-madan/) > [Life in this society being, at best, an utter bore and no aspect of society being at all relevant to women, there remains to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie-solanas/life-in-this-society-being-at-best-an-utter-bore-and-no-aspect-of/) [Valerie Solanas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie-solanas/) > [All politicians are bores and liars and fakes. I talk to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-gellhorn/all-politicians-are-bores-and-liars-and-fakes-i-talk-to-people/) [Martha Gellhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-gellhorn/) > [And I am quite serious when I say that I do not believe there are, on the whole earth besides, so many intensified bores…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/and-i-am-quite-serious-when-i-say-that-i-do-not-believe-there-are-on/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [Mr. Presley has no discernible singing ability. His specialty is rhythm songs which he renders in an undistinguished whine; his phrasing, if it can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gould/mr-presley-has-no-discernible-singing-ability-his-specialty-is-rhythm/) [Jack Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-gould/) > [Mark how fleeting and paltry is the estate of man-yesterday in embryo, tomorrow a mummy or ashes. So for the hairsbreadth of time assigned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/mark-how-fleeting-and-paltry-is-the-estate-of-man-yesterday-in-embryo/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [It is an occupational hazard of devout folk to become stuffy bores. This should not be. Of all people, we should be the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/it-is-an-occupational-hazard-of-devout-folk-to-become-stuffy-bores/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [There still remains one effort of magnanimity, one sacrifice of prejudice and passion, to be made by the individuals throughout the nation who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quincy-adams/there-still-remains-one-effort-of-magnanimity-one-sacrifice-of/) [John Quincy Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-quincy-adams/) > [Men will pay large sums to whores for telling them they are not bores.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden/men-will-pay-large-sums-to-whores-for-telling-them-they-are-not-bores/) [W. H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden/) > [The cross of Christ is the sweetest burden that I ever bore; it is such a burden as wings are to a bird, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-rutherford/the-cross-of-christ-is-the-sweetest-burden-that-i-ever-bore-it-is/) [Samuel Rutherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-rutherford/) > [It is a sin to bore a child with the Word of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-g-hendricks/it-is-a-sin-to-bore-a-child-with-the-word-of-god/) [Howard G. Hendricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-g-hendricks/) Browse all 653 Bores quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Poetry is either something that lives like fire inside you -- like music to the musician or Marxism to the Communist -- or else it is nothing, an empty, formalized bore around which pedants can endlessly drone their notes and explanations.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "F. Scott Fitzgerald" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/poetry-is-either-something-that-lives-like-fire-inside-you-like-music/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bores" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/poetry-is-either-something-that-lives-like-fire-inside-you-like-music/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/430/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_bores_poetry-is-either-something-that-lives-li_1200068.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/430/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_bores_poetry-is-either-something-that-lives-li_1200068.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/430/f-scott-fitzgerald-72_bores_poetry-is-either-something-that-lives-li_1200068.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Poetry is either something that lives like fire inside you -- like music to the musician or Marxism to the…” — F. Scott Fitzgerald", "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": "F. Scott Fitzgerald", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-scott-fitzgerald/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Poetry is either something that lives...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/poetry-is-either-something-that-lives-like-fire-inside-you-like-music/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-scott-fitzgerald/poetry-is-either-something-that-lives-like-fire-inside-you-like-music/#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 } } ] } ```