--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In a word, poetry can not exist without…" description: "\"In a word, poetry can not exist without emotion, or, if you will, without a movement of the soul which regulates the words.\" — Paul Claudel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/paul-claudel-22534_can-not_in-a-word-poetry-can-not-exist-without-e_302088.png" --- # In a word, poetry can not exist without emotion, or, if… ![“In a word, poetry can not exist without emotion, or, if you will, without a movement of the soul which regulates the words.” quote by Paul Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/paul-claudel-22534_can-not_in-a-word-poetry-can-not-exist-without-e_302088.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/paul-claudel-22534_can-not_in-a-word-poetry-can-not-exist-without-e_302088.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad2/paul-claudel-22534_can-not_in-a-word-poetry-can-not-exist-without-e_302088.png) > “In a word, poetry can not exist without emotion, or, if you will, without a movement of the soul which regulates the words.” [Paul Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-claudel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Poetry requires emotion or a soul’s movement to shape language, making feeling essential to poetic expression. **In simple terms:** Emotion fuels poetic language. Key Takeaway Cultivate feeling to write poetry. Themes art emotion creativity language spirituality Mood inspirational thoughtful artistic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing workshops - personal journaling - literary analysis - creative retreats Key Concepts aesthetics expressive theory psychology of art Questions to Reflect On - How does emotion guide word choice? - Can structure exist without feeling? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on emotion may neglect form. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) ## Related quotes > [Shame doesn't exist as an emotion without the projected or perceived sense of judgment coming from somewhere else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leslie-jamison/shame-doesn-t-exist-as-an-emotion-without-the-projected-or-perceived/) [Leslie Jamison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leslie-jamison/) > [“Of course we had hoped that he would take up his sword as part of the President's war on poetry. The time is ripe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-barthelme/of-course-we-had-hoped-that-he-would-take-up-his-sword-as-part-of-the/) [Donald Barthelme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-barthelme/) > [In order for poetry to exist there has to be not-poetry to contrast it with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-equi/in-order-for-poetry-to-exist-there-has-to-be-not-poetry-to-contrast/) [Elaine Equi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-equi/) > [Poetry will exist as long as there is a problem of life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rub-n-dar-o/poetry-will-exist-as-long-as-there-is-a-problem-of-life-and-death/) [Ruben Dario](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rub-n-dar-o/) > [We tend to be so bombarded with information, and we move so quickly, that there's a tendency to treat everything on the surface level…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/we-tend-to-be-so-bombarded-with-information-and-we-move-so-quickly/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [“Poetry will exist as long as there is a problem of life and death. The gift of art is a superior gift that allows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben/poetry-will-exist-as-long-as-there-is-a-problem-of-life-and-death-the/) Ruben > [“What I really want is to be recognized as a writer; that someday, my poetry — this is an interesting paradox — would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harley-king/what-i-really-want-is-to-be-recognized-as-a-writer-that-someday-my/) [Harley King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harley-king/) > [Spoken word poetry is the art of performance poetry. I tell people it involves creating poetry that doesn't just want to sit on paper,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-kay/spoken-word-poetry-is-the-art-of-performance-poetry-i-tell-people-it/) [Sarah Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-kay/) > [If you go into a bar in most places in America and even say the word poetry, you'll probably get beaten up. 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They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/poetry-is-the-language-we-speak-in-the-most-terrifying-or-ecstatic/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [Confession may well be a dirty word in poetry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucie-brock-broido/confession-may-well-be-a-dirty-word-in-poetry/) [Lucie Brock-Broido](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucie-brock-broido/) ## More by Paul Claudel > [How amazing it is to be alive Anyone who lives and breathes and puts both feet on the ground, What possible reason could he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-claudel/how-amazing-it-is-to-be-alive-anyone-who-lives-and-breathes-and-puts/) [Paul Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-claudel/) > [We must not seek happiness in peace, but in conflict.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-claudel/we-must-not-seek-happiness-in-peace-but-in-conflict/) [Paul Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-claudel/) > [The priest has just baptized you a Christian with water; and I baptize you a Frenchman, daring child, with a dewdrop of champagne on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-claudel/the-priest-has-just-baptized-you-a-christian-with-water-and-i-baptize/) [Paul Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-claudel/) > [You explain nothing, O poet, but thanks to you all things become explicable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-claudel/you-explain-nothing-o-poet-but-thanks-to-you-all-things-become/) [Paul Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-claudel/) > [It is fortunate that diplomats have long noses since they usually cannot see beyond them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-claudel/it-is-fortunate-that-diplomats-have-long-noses-since-they-usually/) [Paul Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-claudel/) > [Jesus did not come to explain away suffering or remove it. 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The world is still intact; it is as pristine as it was on the first day, as fresh as milk!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-claudel/open-your-eyes-the-world-is-still-intact-it-is-as-pristine-as-it-was/) [Paul Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-claudel/) > [The words I use Are everyday words and yet are not the same! You will find no rhymes in my verse, no magic. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-claudel/the-words-i-use-are-everyday-words-and-yet-are-not-the-same-you-will/) [Paul Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-claudel/) > [Now I know that at the heart of the universe is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-claudel/now-i-know-that-at-the-heart-of-the-universe-is-joy/) [Paul Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-claudel/) > [All that passes is raised to the dignity of expression; all that happens is raised to the dignity of meaning. Everything is either symbol…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-claudel/all-that-passes-is-raised-to-the-dignity-of-expression-all-that/) [Paul Claudel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-claudel/) [Explore all 23 Paul Claudel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-claudel/) ## More Can not quotes > [Our beliefs are like the unquestioned commands, telling us how things are, what's possible and what's impossible, what we can and can not do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/our-beliefs-are-like-the-unquestioned-commands-telling-us-how-things/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [… Our lives are made in these small hours, these little wonders, these twists & turns of fate. 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