Poetry Quote by John Ashbery
“I always thought that writing poetry was in itself a political act.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Poetry of the Future", 1975
Writing poetry inherently carries political weight because language shapes thought.
In simple terms: Poetry is political by nature.
Key Takeaway
Use poetry to challenge norms.
Themes
art
politics
language
Mood
contemplative
inspirational
Type
philosophical
creative
When to use this quote
- activist writing
- classroom discussion
- public readings
- media commentary
Key Concepts
expression
social critique
creative resistance
Questions to Reflect On
- What political ideas can you embed in a poem?
- Does form affect political impact?
A Different Perspective
Poetry can be apolitical if focused solely on aesthetics.
![“I know there's some poetry that sort of sounds like daisies, but most of the good poetry is also [political], you can feel the heartbeat; it's about some situation that concerns human beings under duress. It's suggesting a solution, or just acknowledging that [the situation] exists. Art does that.” quote by Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/540/toni-morrison-271_art_i-know-there-s-some-poetry-that-sort-of_2786675.jpg)
![“Poets are political, they have to be reflections of their times [because] they're living in their times... Poetry is political in that it's standing in opposition to fascism. Good poetry asks a bunch of questions and asks the audience to interact with themselves or see themselves in it; maybe you…” quote by John Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3ee/john-cusack-3209_asks_poets-are-political-they-have-to-be-refl_951168.jpg)
