--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We do inherently know that poetry is…" description: "\"We do inherently know that poetry is about the way we speak. It's about where we pause, where we drop our words in the middle of a sentence. It's about..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/jacqueline-woodson-1482_cadence_we-do-inherently-know-that-poetry-is-abo_1955324.png" --- # We do inherently know that poetry is about the way we… ![“We do inherently know that poetry is about the way we speak. It's about where we pause, where we drop our words in the middle of a sentence. It's about the rhythm and the cadence of the way we speak. It's about putting that down at the end of the day.” quote by Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/jacqueline-woodson-1482_cadence_we-do-inherently-know-that-poetry-is-abo_1955324.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/jacqueline-woodson-1482_cadence_we-do-inherently-know-that-poetry-is-abo_1955324.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/18a/jacqueline-woodson-1482_cadence_we-do-inherently-know-that-poetry-is-abo_1955324.png) > “We do inherently know that poetry is about the way we speak. It's about where we pause, where we drop our words in the middle of a sentence. It's about the rhythm and the cadence of the way we speak. It's about putting that down at the end of the day.” [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poetry mirrors spoken rhythm, pauses, and unfinished thoughts, capturing daily speech patterns. **In simple terms:** Poetry reflects how we talk. Key Takeaway Listen to speech for poetic inspiration. Themes poetry language rhythm Mood creative contemplative Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - public speaking - creative exercises Key Concepts literature linguistics Questions to Reflect On - How does spoken rhythm shape your writing? - Can you write a poem from a conversation? A Different Perspective Over‑analysis can stifle spontaneity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cadence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cadence/) [End of the day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-of-the-day/) [Pauses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pauses/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Rhythm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhythm/) ## Related quotes > [But those words were only the middle of the story. 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I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-silverblatt/a-beautiful-word-in-the-middle-of-a-sentence-can-sometimes-reduce-me/) [Michael Silverblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-silverblatt/) ## More by Jacqueline Woodson > [A lot of times, when people send me books to read - new writers mostly - I find that the book is still in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/a-lot-of-times-when-people-send-me-books-to-read-new-writers-mostly-i/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) > [I think, even though homophobia still exists, there is much more of a dialogue and a taboo around being homophobic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/i-think-even-though-homophobia-still-exists-there-is-much-more-of-a/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) > [I still love Carson McCullers and Raymond Carver and Toni Morrison and James Baldwin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/i-still-love-carson-mccullers-and-raymond-carver-and-toni-morrison/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) > [I'm usually working on several things at once. 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