--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd try to write my poems in a certain…" description: "\"I'd try to write my poems in a certain rhythm. I had my rock 'n' roll stuff for performing and my denser stuff for writing.\" — Patti Smith" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/patti-smith-394_certain_i-d-try-to-write-my-poems-in-a-certain-r_1264032.jpg" --- # I'd try to write my poems in a certain rhythm. I had my… ![“I'd try to write my poems in a certain rhythm. I had my rock 'n' roll stuff for performing and my denser stuff for writing.” quote by Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/patti-smith-394_certain_i-d-try-to-write-my-poems-in-a-certain-r_1264032.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/patti-smith-394_certain_i-d-try-to-write-my-poems-in-a-certain-r_1264032.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/patti-smith-394_certain_i-d-try-to-write-my-poems-in-a-certain-r_1264032.jpg) > “I'd try to write my poems in a certain rhythm. I had my rock 'n' roll stuff for performing and my denser stuff for writing.” [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. She distinguishes between rhythmic, performance‑oriented poems and denser, written material, emphasizing different creative approaches for different contexts. **In simple terms:** She writes poems with rhythm for performance and denser ones for writing. Key Takeaway Choose form that fits purpose. Themes creativity artistic process performance writing Mood reflective inspired Type artistic process When to use this quote - live concerts - studio recordings - poetry readings - personal journaling Key Concepts rhythm density genre expression Questions to Reflect On - Which form best serves your intended audience? - How does rhythm influence emotional impact? A Different Perspective Balancing both styles may dilute a distinct voice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Certain Rhythm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain-rhythm-3566956/) [Performing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/performing/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Rhythm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rhythm/) [Rock n roll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rock-n-roll/) [Rocks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocks/) [Stuff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff/) [Stuff Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stuff-writing-1819909/) [Try Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try-write/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [There's also a certain rhythm to the way Jews talk that might be funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-david/there-s-also-a-certain-rhythm-to-the-way-jews-talk-that-might-be-funny/) [Larry David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-david/) > [For me writing is a question of finding a certain rhythm. I compare it to the rhythms of jazz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/for-me-writing-is-a-question-of-finding-a-certain-rhythm-i-compare-it/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [I've got music in my head when I fight. I've got a certain rhythm, a certain way of fighting, a certain relaxation where I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naseem-hamed/i-ve-got-music-in-my-head-when-i-fight-i-ve-got-a-certain-rhythm-a/) [Naseem Hamed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naseem-hamed/) > [Writing is a question of finding a certain rhythm. I compare it to the rhythms of jazz. Much of the time life is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/writing-is-a-question-of-finding-a-certain-rhythm-i-compare-it-to-the/) [Francoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [Eventually the bad stuff I'm writing turns into better stuff. Other times, I've just walked away from what I was working on, and figured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-haddix/eventually-the-bad-stuff-i-m-writing-turns-into-better-stuff-other/) [Margaret Haddix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-haddix/) > [It's pretty much rock-'n'-roll. I sit down and start feeling stuff and writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-penn/it-s-pretty-much-rock-n-roll-i-sit-down-and-start-feeling-stuff-and/) [Sean Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-penn/) > [We've always dreamt of a TV series and working in film. When we first sat down to seriously write 'A Little Nightmare Music,' to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksey-igudesman/we-ve-always-dreamt-of-a-tv-series-and-working-in-film-when-we-first/) [Aleksey Igudesman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksey-igudesman/) > [If the stuff you're writing is not for yourself, it won't work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/if-the-stuff-you-re-writing-is-not-for-yourself-it-won-t-work/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I've been writing about my boyhood, when I was a little kid back on my grandfather's farm where we didn't know about black widow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kary-mullis/i-ve-been-writing-about-my-boyhood-when-i-was-a-little-kid-back-on-my/) [Kary Mullis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kary-mullis/) > [You don't have to always write about big stuff. Writing is about expressing yourself, you know? It can be about small stuff, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mick-jones/you-don-t-have-to-always-write-about-big-stuff-writing-is-about/) [Mick Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mick-jones/) > [I probably haven't had enough gay characters in my stuff. When you're writing something, you're thinking, 'Why couldn't this person be black, white, gay?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcdonagh/i-probably-haven-t-had-enough-gay-characters-in-my-stuff-when-you-re/) [Martin McDonagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcdonagh/) > [I'll often use my real stuff in my writing because it comes across as more authentic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebel-wilson/i-ll-often-use-my-real-stuff-in-my-writing-because-it-comes-across-as/) [Rebel Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebel-wilson/) > [I think ultimately it's just time management. You're just doing a lot more stuff. You're doing the same stuff, you're writing and you're producing,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-m-gimple/i-think-ultimately-it-s-just-time-management-you-re-just-doing-a-lot/) [Scott M. Gimple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-m-gimple/) > [I started out writing much more science fictiony stuff and writing about science fiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-started-out-writing-much-more-science-fictiony-stuff-and-writing/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I just kind of like to feel myself into stuff by writing scenes and seeing what characters end up saying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-waller-bridge/i-just-kind-of-like-to-feel-myself-into-stuff-by-writing-scenes-and/) [Phoebe Waller-Bridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-waller-bridge/) ## More by Patti Smith > [I had a really happy childhood - my siblings were great, my mother was very fanciful, and I loved to read. But there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-had-a-really-happy-childhood-my-siblings-were-great-my-mother-was/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [As a citizen, hopefully I'm humanist. As an artist, I'm free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/as-a-citizen-hopefully-i-m-humanist-as-an-artist-i-m-free/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [ Sometimes \[people\] seem to think I came out of the womb, you know, cursing, with an electric guitar. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/sometimes-people-seem-to-think-i-came-out-of-the-womb-you-know/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [“Inside it he inscribed a few lines of poetry, portraying us as the gypsy and the fool, one creating silence; one listening closely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/inside-it-he-inscribed-a-few-lines-of-poetry-portraying-us-as-the/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [Who can know the heart of youth but youth itself?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/who-can-know-the-heart-of-youth-but-youth-itself/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [“I clawed through a thick web of the culture’s consciousness that I hadn’t known existed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-clawed-through-a-thick-web-of-the-culture-s-consciousness-that-i/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [Ultimately, we are not seeking others to bow to, but to reinforce our individual natures, to help us suffer our own choices, to guide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/ultimately-we-are-not-seeking-others-to-bow-to-but-to-reinforce-our/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [If I'm taking a picture of Brancusi's grave, I know that there's something of him, of his mortal remains, beneath my feet, and there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/if-i-m-taking-a-picture-of-brancusi-s-grave-i-know-that-there-s/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [I'm certain, as we filled down the great staircase, that I appeared the same as ever, a moping twelve years-old, all arms and legs.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-m-certain-as-we-filled-down-the-great-staircase-that-i-appeared-the/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [In art and dream may you proceed with abandon. In life may you proceed with balance and stealth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/in-art-and-dream-may-you-proceed-with-abandon-in-life-may-you-proceed/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [New York is the thing that seduced me. New York is the thing that formed me. New York is the thing that deformed me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/new-york-is-the-thing-that-seduced-me-new-york-is-the-thing-that/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [I don't wanna be equal with anybody. I wanna be above equal. I don't think most people are equal to me. I'd like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-don-t-wanna-be-equal-with-anybody-i-wanna-be-above-equal-i-don-t/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [I think I'm constantly in a state of adjustment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-think-i-m-constantly-in-a-state-of-adjustment/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [Somehow I started introducing writing into my drawings, and after a time, the language took over and I started getting very involved with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/somehow-i-started-introducing-writing-into-my-drawings-and-after-a/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) > [I'm okay with roaming around the world in my bunk for days on end. Maybe every third day I'll get a shower or stumble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-m-okay-with-roaming-around-the-world-in-my-bunk-for-days-on-end/) [Patti Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) [Explore all 595 Patti Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/) ## More Certain quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) [Riffat Hassan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riffat-hassan/) > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/) [T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/) > [Human life consists of doing certain things ... to take part in the life of the community; to be able to talk about subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amartya-sen/human-life-consists-of-doing-certain-things-to-take-part-in-the-life/) [Amartya Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amartya-sen/) > [We've all seen talented young players who get to a certain level but there comes a point where that talent will only take you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-gatland/we-ve-all-seen-talented-young-players-who-get-to-a-certain-level-but/) [Warren Gatland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-gatland/) > [The concept of humanity is an especially useful ideological instrument of imperialist expansion, and in its ethical-humanitarian form it is a specific vehicle of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-schmitt/the-concept-of-humanity-is-an-especially-useful-ideological/) [Carl Schmitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-schmitt/) > [I think that at a certain age, say fifteen or sixteen, poetry is like masturbation. But later in life good poets burn their early…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/i-think-that-at-a-certain-age-say-fifteen-or-sixteen-poetry-is-like/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [If a person does not listen to the demands of their own spiritual and heart life and insists on a certain program, you're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-campbell/if-a-person-does-not-listen-to-the-demands-of-their-own-spiritual-and/) [Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-campbell/) [Browse all 13,673 Certain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'd try to write my poems in a certain rhythm. I had my rock 'n' roll stuff for performing and my denser stuff for writing.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patti Smith" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-d-try-to-write-my-poems-in-a-certain-rhythm-i-had-my-rock-n-roll/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Certain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-d-try-to-write-my-poems-in-a-certain-rhythm-i-had-my-rock-n-roll/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/patti-smith-394_certain_i-d-try-to-write-my-poems-in-a-certain-r_1264032.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/patti-smith-394_certain_i-d-try-to-write-my-poems-in-a-certain-r_1264032.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/996/patti-smith-394_certain_i-d-try-to-write-my-poems-in-a-certain-r_1264032.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'd try to write my poems in a certain rhythm. I had my rock 'n' roll stuff for performing and my denser…” — Patti Smith", "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": "Patti Smith", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patti-smith/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'd try to write my poems...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-d-try-to-write-my-poems-in-a-certain-rhythm-i-had-my-rock-n-roll/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patti-smith/i-d-try-to-write-my-poems-in-a-certain-rhythm-i-had-my-rock-n-roll/#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 } } ] } ```