--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For the critic, criticism is a form of…" description: "\"For the critic, criticism is a form of natural self-expression, as poetry is to the poet. So, for a critic, criticism is a true thing. Criticism isn’t ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/helen-vendler-23273_criticism_for-the-critic-criticism-is-a-form-of-na_1829240.jpg" --- # For the critic, criticism is a form of natural… ![“For the critic, criticism is a form of natural self-expression, as poetry is to the poet. So, for a critic, criticism is a true thing. Criticism isn’t written for poets, it’s written for other readers. One hopes it is true for other readers if it’s true for oneself.” quote by Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/helen-vendler-23273_criticism_for-the-critic-criticism-is-a-form-of-na_1829240.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/helen-vendler-23273_criticism_for-the-critic-criticism-is-a-form-of-na_1829240.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/helen-vendler-23273_criticism_for-the-critic-criticism-is-a-form-of-na_1829240.jpg) > “For the critic, criticism is a form of natural self-expression, as poetry is to the poet. So, for a critic, criticism is a true thing. Criticism isn’t written for poets, it’s written for other readers. One hopes it is true for other readers if it’s true for oneself.” [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Criticism mirrors poetry as a personal expression, intended for readers who share the critic’s truth. **In simple terms:** Criticism is personal expression for readers. Key Takeaway Write criticism that reflects your own truth. Themes criticism expression readership Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary reflective When to use this quote - book reviews - art analysis - personal essays Key Concepts literary theory subjectivity Questions to Reflect On - How does personal bias affect criticism? - Can criticism be truly objective? A Different Perspective Criticism may be biased by the critic’s perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Critic Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critic-criticism-2259605/) [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Criticism Isn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism-isn-2259604/) [Criticism True](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism-true-548603/) [Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critics/) [Expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expression/) [Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/form/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Oneself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oneself/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poet Critic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet-critic-1126746/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poetry is](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry-is/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self expression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-expression/) [True things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-things/) [Written](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/written/) ## Related quotes > [Jim Longenbach, poet, critic, and my husband, is always passing along life-changing books for me to read.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/jim-longenbach-poet-critic-and-my-husband-is-always-passing-along/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [People who look at art don't really - don't go with the artist. They don't sort of accept what he or she has done…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barry/people-who-look-at-art-don-t-really-don-t-go-with-the-artist-they-don/) [Robert Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barry/) > [I am not a critic; to me criticism is so often nothing more than the eye garrulously denouncing the shape of the peephole that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/djuna-barnes/i-am-not-a-critic-to-me-criticism-is-so-often-nothing-more-than-the/) [Djuna Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/djuna-barnes/) > [I've learned to be careful of becoming a critic. Criticism really sours your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-macdonald/i-ve-learned-to-be-careful-of-becoming-a-critic-criticism-really/) [James MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-macdonald/) > [Nice criticism is good when it tells you something. A lot of negative "criticism" isn't criticism at all: it's just nasty, "writerly" cliché and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/renata-adler/nice-criticism-is-good-when-it-tells-you-something-a-lot-of-negative/) [Renata Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/renata-adler/) > [It is this capacity for relentless self-criticism that should be - everywhere - the true measure of intellectual freedom and cosmopolitanism, not the entrenched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-mishra/it-is-this-capacity-for-relentless-self-criticism-that-should-be/) [Pankaj Mishra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-mishra/) > [It is normal to enjoy praise and dislike criticism. True character is when you prevent either from affecting you in a negative matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/it-is-normal-to-enjoy-praise-and-dislike-criticism-true-character-is/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) > [It's wrong to criticize leaders of the church, even if the criticism is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dallin-h-oaks/it-s-wrong-to-criticize-leaders-of-the-church-even-if-the-criticism/) [Dallin H. Oaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dallin-h-oaks/) > [“if the criticism about you is true, mend your ways!  If it isn't, forget about it!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stange/if-the-criticism-about-you-is-true-mend-your-ways-if-it-isn-t-forget/) [John Stange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stange/) > [We cannot let external criticism, even if it's true, fortify our internal foe. That foe is strong enough already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/we-cannot-let-external-criticism-even-if-it-s-true-fortify-our/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [I knew it was too good to be true. Some things never change...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-knew-it-was-too-good-to-be-true-some-things-never-change/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I think there are two kinds of TRUE THINGS-- true things that ARE, and true things that ARE NOT, but MIGHT be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-montgomery/i-think-there-are-two-kinds-of-true-things-true-things-that-are-and/) [L.M. Montgomery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-montgomery/) > [Doc still loved true things but he knew that it was not a general love and it could be a very dangerous mistress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/doc-still-loved-true-things-but-he-knew-that-it-was-not-a-general/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“I always hated watching movies where the couple falls so hard and so fast. I had always thought that was too good to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-stone/i-always-hated-watching-movies-where-the-couple-falls-so-hard-and-so/) [Amanda Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-stone/) > [We must hold fast to the austere but true doctrine as to what really governs politics and saves or destroys states. Having in mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-arnold/we-must-hold-fast-to-the-austere-but-true-doctrine-as-to-what-really/) [Matthew Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-arnold/) ## More by Helen Vendler > [You don’t read or overhear the voice in the poem, you are the voice in the poem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/you-don-t-read-or-overhear-the-voice-in-the-poem-you-are-the-voice-in/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [I wouldn't be very happy if a poet read what I had written and said, 'What a peculiar thing to say about this work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/i-wouldn-t-be-very-happy-if-a-poet-read-what-i-had-written-and-said/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [Each poem leads you to the questions it makes sense to ask it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/each-poem-leads-you-to-the-questions-it-makes-sense-to-ask-it/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [I like art history and art criticism. Leo Steinberg has always been my favorite. He's very original, very accurate and acute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/i-like-art-history-and-art-criticism-leo-steinberg-has-always-been-my/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [I think that a lot of things are hard to read if you're not in the vocabulary flow of that particular discourse. I sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/i-think-that-a-lot-of-things-are-hard-to-read-if-you-re-not-in-the/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [If you like the precision and concision of poetry, a page of prose is unsatisfying in a certain way. And poetry is so direct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/if-you-like-the-precision-and-concision-of-poetry-a-page-of-prose-is/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [I liked teaching Henry James. When you look down at a Henry James novel from a helicopter height, you find an intricate spider web…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/i-liked-teaching-henry-james-when-you-look-down-at-a-henry-james/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [The non-artists among us are always terribly busy, but finally disappear without a trace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/the-non-artists-among-us-are-always-terribly-busy-but-finally/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [I would like to spend more time with Spanish poetry. I know French better than Spanish, but Spanish was my first language, and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/i-would-like-to-spend-more-time-with-spanish-poetry-i-know-french/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [The art of utterance persuades initially by its music and its rhythm, before semiotic or personal characteristics come into play.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/the-art-of-utterance-persuades-initially-by-its-music-and-its-rhythm/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [I like art history and art criticism. Leo Steinberg has always been my favorite. Hes very original, very accurate and acute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/i-like-art-history-and-art-criticism-leo-steinberg-has-always-been-my-2/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [Twentieth-century American poetry has been one of the glories of modern literature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/twentieth-century-american-poetry-has-been-one-of-the-glories-of/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [I do not give the honorific name of 'poetry' to the primitive and the unaccomplished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/i-do-not-give-the-honorific-name-of-poetry-to-the-primitive-and-the/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [One could say that artists are people who think naturally in highly patterned ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/one-could-say-that-artists-are-people-who-think-naturally-in-highly/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) > [All good poets of the past, almost without exception, were at least bilingual if not trilingual.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/all-good-poets-of-the-past-almost-without-exception-were-at-least/) [Helen Vendler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) [Explore all 26 Helen Vendler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/) ## More Criticism quotes > [Regardless of the criticisms I receive from the left, the right and the middle, I think it's important to maintain a prolific writing jab,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishmael-reed/regardless-of-the-criticisms-i-receive-from-the-left-the-right-and/) [Ishmael Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishmael-reed/) > [I receive something we might euphemistically call an 'inappropriately hostile' response - that is to say, more than fair criticism or even fair anger…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-beard/i-receive-something-we-might-euphemistically-call-an-inappropriately/) [Mary Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-beard/) > [A common fallacy in much of the adverse criticism to which science is subjected today is that it claims certainty, infallibility and complete emotional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/a-common-fallacy-in-much-of-the-adverse-criticism-to-which-science-is/) [Cyril Norman Hinshelwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-norman-hinshelwood/) > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. I think people are conditioned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-tyrnauer/i-reject-criticism-because-the-last-thing-i-wanted-was-to-sit-there/) [Matt Tyrnauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-tyrnauer/) > [I'm more comfortable modelling as a man because I don't get any criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rain-dove/i-m-more-comfortable-modelling-as-a-man-because-i-don-t-get-any/) [Rain Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rain-dove/) > [I don't mind positive criticism, but when it is negative and personal, it is quite hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inzamam-ul-haq/i-don-t-mind-positive-criticism-but-when-it-is-negative-and-personal/) [Inzamam-ul-Haq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inzamam-ul-haq/) > [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/) > [Everything is allowable in literature, but what is not allowable in criticism is objection on the grounds of probability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-jacobson/everything-is-allowable-in-literature-but-what-is-not-allowable-in/) [Howard Jacobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-jacobson/) > [Lots of relationships fail because we spend more time pointing out each other's mistakes and not enough time enjoying each other's company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lots-of-relationships-fail-because-we-spend-more-time-pointing-out/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If our aim is to praise, we should forget to criticize; if our aim is to criticize, we should remember to praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/if-our-aim-is-to-praise-we-should-forget-to-criticize-if-our-aim-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [No man can be criticised but by a greater than he. Do not, then, read the reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/no-man-can-be-criticised-but-by-a-greater-than-he-do-not-then-read/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [People believe that criticism should be objective, whatever that means, but I really don't understand what people mean by that. I guess if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-christgau/people-believe-that-criticism-should-be-objective-whatever-that-means/) [Robert Christgau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-christgau/) > [I welcome criticism. I come from a - I wouldn't say mean, but you've got to have tough skin to be in my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saweetie/i-welcome-criticism-i-come-from-a-i-wouldn-t-say-mean-but-you-ve-got/) [Saweetie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saweetie/) > [The good author is he who contemplates without marked joy or excessive sorrow the adventures of his soul amongst criticisms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-good-author-is-he-who-contemplates-without-marked-joy-or/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) [Browse all 3,954 Criticism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For the critic, criticism is a form of natural self-expression, as poetry is to the poet. So, for a critic, criticism is a true thing. Criticism isn’t written for poets, it’s written for other readers. One hopes it is true for other readers if it’s true for oneself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Helen Vendler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/for-the-critic-criticism-is-a-form-of-natural-self-expression-as/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Criticism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/for-the-critic-criticism-is-a-form-of-natural-self-expression-as/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/helen-vendler-23273_criticism_for-the-critic-criticism-is-a-form-of-na_1829240.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/helen-vendler-23273_criticism_for-the-critic-criticism-is-a-form-of-na_1829240.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/528/helen-vendler-23273_criticism_for-the-critic-criticism-is-a-form-of-na_1829240.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For the critic, criticism is a form of natural self-expression, as poetry is to the poet. So, for a critic…” — Helen Vendler", "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": "Helen Vendler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-vendler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For the critic, criticism is a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/for-the-critic-criticism-is-a-form-of-natural-self-expression-as/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-vendler/for-the-critic-criticism-is-a-form-of-natural-self-expression-as/#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 } } ] } ```