Book Quote by Lawrence Joseph
“My sense of the poet is classical - the poet is one who makes poems. In each book, I develop and repeat certain general themes - time, place, memory, God, history, class, race, beauty, love, poetry, identity. The core identity is the poet making the poems.”
About This Quote
Source Book: "The Great American Poetry", 1999
The poet’s role is to create poems, exploring themes like time, memory, and identity, with the poet’s identity defined by this act of making poetry.
In simple terms: Poet makes poems, exploring many themes.
Embrace the act of creating poetry as identity.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- academic study
- personal journaling
- cultural analysis
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does your poetry reflect your personal identity?
- What themes recur in your work and why?
Focusing solely on creation may neglect reception and impact of poems.