Poetry Quote by G.C. Waldrep
““Prayer is that which conveys a message to God, who is either known or knowing, more or less by definition. Poetry is that which conveys a message to a stranger.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “The Language of Prayer and Poetry”, 2015
Prayer and poetry both aim to communicate, but prayer addresses the divine, while poetry speaks to an unknown other.
In simple terms: Prayer talks to God; poetry talks to strangers.
Key Takeaway
Use the right medium for the intended listener.
Themes
spirituality
art
communication
language
Mood
contemplative
philosophical
Type
literary
spiritual
When to use this quote
- personal reflection
- public readings
- interfaith dialogues
Key Concepts
divine dialogue
creative expression
Questions to Reflect On
- What do you hope to convey when you write?
- How does audience affect your choice of words?
A Different Perspective
Poetry may lack the sacred authority some seek in prayer.
![“I think we need to sort of broaden our definition of poetry, which maybe it's a good thing that they just gave this Nobel Prize to [Bob] Dylan because blurring the lines of song lyrics and also hip-hop for me is like some of the greatest uses - most innovative uses of language in my lifetime.” quote by Jim Jarmusch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9ff/jim-jarmusch-3256_bob_i-think-we-need-to-sort-of-broaden-our-d_681950.jpg)
