Poetry Quote by Frank Bidart
““The gestures poems make are the same as the gestures of ritual injunction — curse; exorcism; prayer; underlying everything perhaps, the attempt to make someone or something live again. Both poet and shaman make a model that stands for the whole. Substitution, symbolic substitution. The mind conceives that something lived, or might live. Implicit is the demand to understand. The memorial that is ward and warning. Without these ancient springs poems are merely more words.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Poems: The Collected Poems, Frank Bidart, 2017
Poetry functions like ritual, using symbolic gestures to revive meaning and demand understanding, akin to shamanic practices.
In simple terms: Poetry revives meaning through symbolic ritual.
Key Takeaway
Use poetry to explore deeper truths.
Themes
ritual
symbolism
revival
understanding
memory
Mood
contemplative
introspective
Type
philosophical
literary
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- creative writing
- therapy
- ceremonial practice
- cultural analysis
Key Concepts
shamanism
symbolic substitution
poetic function
Questions to Reflect On
- How does ritual shape poetic meaning?
- What symbols in poetry resonate with you?
A Different Perspective
Poetry may be inaccessible without cultural context.
