--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He never described himself as a poet or…" description: "\"“He never described himself as a poet or his work as poetry. The fact that the lines do not come to the edge of the page is no guarantee. Poetry is a v..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/leonard-cohen-448_fire_he-never-described-himself-as-a-poet-or_3192542.jpg" --- # He never described himself as a poet or his work as… ![“He never described himself as a poet or his work as poetry. The fact that the lines do not come to the edge of the page is no guarantee. Poetry is a verdict, not an occupation. He hated to argue about the techniques of verse. The poem is a dirty, bloody, burning thing that has to be grabbed first…” quote by Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/leonard-cohen-448_fire_he-never-described-himself-as-a-poet-or_3192542.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/leonard-cohen-448_fire_he-never-described-himself-as-a-poet-or_3192542.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f3f/leonard-cohen-448_fire_he-never-described-himself-as-a-poet-or_3192542.jpg) > ““He never described himself as a poet or his work as poetry. The fact that the lines do not come to the edge of the page is no guarantee. Poetry is a verdict, not an occupation. He hated to argue about the techniques of verse. The poem is a dirty, bloody, burning thing that has to be grabbed first with bare hands. Once the fire celebrated Light, the dirt Humility, the blood Sacrifice. Now the poets are professional fire-eaters, freelancing at any carnival. The fire goes down easily and honours no one in particular.”” [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poetry is an intense, visceral act, not a profession; it demands raw, immediate engagement, not polished technique. **In simple terms:** Poetry is raw, urgent, not a job. Key Takeaway Embrace poetry’s rawness, avoid over‑professionalizing it. Themes creativity authenticity artistic integrity Mood passionate defiant Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - writing workshops - performance art - personal catharsis Key Concepts raw expression ritual sacrifice fire imagery Questions to Reflect On - How do you keep art raw in a commercial world? - What does “grabbing poetry with bare hands” mean to you? A Different Perspective Poetry can become commodified, losing its edge. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Described Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/described-poet-2554154/) [Fire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) [Poem Dirty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poem-dirty-5894557/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poet Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet-work-871157/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Poetry Fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry-fact-1617539/) ## Related quotes > [Poetry is fact given over to imagery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rod-mckuen/poetry-is-fact-given-over-to-imagery/) [Rod McKuen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rod-mckuen/) > [Even the dog is described by the poet to have received justice under Ramarajya.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/even-the-dog-is-described-by-the-poet-to-have-received-justice-under/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [...to be a poet, requires a mythology of the self. The self described is the poet self, to which the daily self (and others)…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/to-be-a-poet-requires-a-mythology-of-the-self-the-self-described-is/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [I say sometimes that I'm a poet but I work in the novel form. That's what I do. That's what makes sense to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-a-martin/i-say-sometimes-that-i-m-a-poet-but-i-work-in-the-novel-form-that-s/) [Douglas A. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-a-martin/) > [“A poet's work . . . to name the unnamable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world and stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/a-poet-s-work-to-name-the-unnamable-to-point-at-frauds-to-take-sides/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [I do think that given my background as a poet, and also I work in a different field, you're sort of neither here nor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-chang/i-do-think-that-given-my-background-as-a-poet-and-also-i-work-in-a/) [Victoria Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-chang/) > [A poet's work is to name the unnamable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/a-poet-s-work-is-to-name-the-unnamable-to-point-at-frauds-to-take/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [The poet must work with brush and paper,but this is not what makes the poem. A man does not go in search of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yang-wanli/the-poet-must-work-with-brush-and-paper-but-this-is-not-what-makes/) [Yang Wanli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yang-wanli/) > [It is part of the poet's work to show each man what he sees but does not know he sees.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-sitwell/it-is-part-of-the-poet-s-work-to-show-each-man-what-he-sees-but-does/) [Edith Sitwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-sitwell/) > [A writer is not different from a reader, in that the common ragbag of orthodoxies and assumptions is what a poet has to work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/a-writer-is-not-different-from-a-reader-in-that-the-common-ragbag-of/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [A poet's work consists less in seeking words for his ideas than in seeking ideas for his words and predominant rhythms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/a-poet-s-work-consists-less-in-seeking-words-for-his-ideas-than-in/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [“Poet's Work" Grandfather advised me: Learn a trade I learned to sit at desk and condense No layoffs from this condensery”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorine-niedecker/poet-s-work-grandfather-advised-me-learn-a-trade-i-learned-to-sit-at/) [Lorine Niedecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorine-niedecker/) > [If a poet would work politically, he must give himself up to a party; and so soon as he does that, he is lost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/if-a-poet-would-work-politically-he-must-give-himself-up-to-a-party/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I think the term poet is a very exalted term and should be applied to a man at the end of his work. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-think-the-term-poet-is-a-very-exalted-term-and-should-be-applied-to/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I fell in love with social work, and that was my undoing as a poet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-rakosi/i-fell-in-love-with-social-work-and-that-was-my-undoing-as-a-poet/) [Carl Rakosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-rakosi/) ## More by Leonard Cohen > [The blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-blizzard-of-the-world-has-crossed-the-threshold-and-it-s/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Don't matter if you're rich and strong Don't matter if you're weak Don't matter if you write a song The nightingales repeat Don't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/don-t-matter-if-you-re-rich-and-strong-don-t-matter-if-you-re-weak/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“You don't know me from the wind you never will, you never did I'm the little jew who wrote the Bible. I've seen the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/you-don-t-know-me-from-the-wind-you-never-will-you-never-did-i-m-the/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“This is it I’m not coming after you I’m going to lie down for half an hour This is it I’m not going down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-is-it-i-m-not-coming-after-you-i-m-going-to-lie-down-for-half-an/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [My sense of proprietorship has been so weak that actually I didn't pay attention and I lost the copyrights on a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-sense-of-proprietorship-has-been-so-weak-that-actually-i-didn-t/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can... reconcile and embrace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/this-world-is-full-of-conflicts-and-full-of-things-that-cannot-be/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [ I would say the hummingbird really deserves the royalties on \[some of my songs\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-would-say-the-hummingbird-really-deserves-the-royalties-on-some-of/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [One is given to self-dramatization from time to time. I intend to live forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/one-is-given-to-self-dramatization-from-time-to-time-i-intend-to-live/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [The basic function of popular music is to create an environment for courting, lovemaking, and doing the dishes. It's useful because it addresses the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/the-basic-function-of-popular-music-is-to-create-an-environment-for/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“Blessed are you, embrace of the falling, foundation of the light, master of the human accident.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/blessed-are-you-embrace-of-the-falling-foundation-of-the-light-master/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I continually blacken pages and scribble away, so I always have a number of songs that are half-finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-continually-blacken-pages-and-scribble-away-so-i-always-have-a/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I have nothing against the Queen of England. Even in my heart I never resented her for not being Jackie Kennedy. She is, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-have-nothing-against-the-queen-of-england-even-in-my-heart-i-never/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I loved you when you opened like a lily to the heat; you see I’m just another snowman standing in the rain and sleet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-loved-you-when-you-opened-like-a-lily-to-the-heat-you-see-i-m-just/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [It's time that we began to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/it-s-time-that-we-began-to-laugh-and-cry-and-cry-and-laugh-about-it/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [“I followed the course From chaos to art Desire the horse Depression the cart”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/i-followed-the-course-from-chaos-to-art-desire-the-horse-depression/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) [Explore all 543 Leonard Cohen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) ## More Fire quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/elections-belong-to-the-people-it-s-their-decision-if-they-decide-to/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“I locked the door and turned on the water to fill the tub. I made it so hot that I had to get in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-crandall/i-locked-the-door-and-turned-on-the-water-to-fill-the-tub-i-made-it/) [Susan Crandall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-crandall/) > [Well, The Day the Earth Caught Fire was a story... I don't if anybody knows what it is but it was about... in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/well-the-day-the-earth-caught-fire-was-a-story-i-don-t-if-anybody/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [Public infrastructure around the world is facing unprecedented stress, with hurricanes, cyclones, floods and forest fires all increasing in frequency and intensity. It's easy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-klein/public-infrastructure-around-the-world-is-facing-unprecedented-stress/) [Naomi Klein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-klein/) > [Eternal Trinity... mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For You are a fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-catherine-of-siena/eternal-trinity-mystery-deep-as-the-sea-you-could-give-me-no-greater/) [St. Catherine of Siena](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-catherine-of-siena/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [“Nothing is ever lost nor can be lost; the body aged, sluggish,cold… the embers left from earlier fires shall dully flame again”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/nothing-is-ever-lost-nor-can-be-lost-the-body-aged-sluggish-cold-the/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [Tonight I feel like a prisoner on fire, waiting desperately... denied, sentenced forever more. Only your love can set me free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bolton/tonight-i-feel-like-a-prisoner-on-fire-waiting-desperately-denied/) [Michael Bolton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bolton/) > [There are different kinds of fire; there is false fire. No one knows this better than we do, but we are not such fools…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-booth/there-are-different-kinds-of-fire-there-is-false-fire-no-one-knows/) [William Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-booth/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then \[these?\],… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in-england-in-1624-and-in-this/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [War is like a fire. One man may start it, but it will spread all over. It is not about one thing in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/war-is-like-a-fire-one-man-may-start-it-but-it-will-spread-all-over/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [“Carrying that lumber the forty meters from the forest had left his knuckles blistered, his underarms sopping, but now a few hours of flames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-marra/carrying-that-lumber-the-forty-meters-from-the-forest-had-left-his/) [Anthony Marra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-marra/) > [May nothing entice me till I happily make my way to Jesus Christ! Fire, cross, struggles with wild beasts, wrenching of bones, mangling of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ignatius-of-antioch/may-nothing-entice-me-till-i-happily-make-my-way-to-jesus-christ-fire/) [Ignatius of Antioch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ignatius-of-antioch/) > [AHHHHHH! Goyle has set the bloody place on fire! -Ron Weasley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ahhhhhh-goyle-has-set-the-bloody-place-on-fire-ron-weasley/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 8,652 Fire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He never described himself as a poet or his work as poetry. The fact that the lines do not come to the edge of the page is no guarantee. Poetry is a verdict, not an occupation. He hated to argue about the techniques of verse. The poem is a dirty, bloody, burning thing that has to be grabbed first with bare hands. 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