Conscious Quote by Philip Levine
“My sense of a poem - my notion of how you revise - is: you get yourself into a state where what you are intensely conscious of is not why you wrote it or how you wrote it, but what you wrote.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Poetry Magazine, 1995
The poet describes a state where conscious focus shifts from intent to the text itself, allowing the work to speak for itself.
In simple terms: Focus moves from why you wrote to what you wrote.
Key Takeaway
Let the poem reveal its meaning.
Themes
creativity
self-awareness
writing process
Mood
introspective
thoughtful
Type
artistic
reflective
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- personal journaling
- editing drafts
- creative retreats
- teaching poetry
Key Concepts
self-reflection
mindfulness
artistic immersion
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this shift affect your emotional connection to the poem?
- Can you experience this state with other art forms?
A Different Perspective
It may be hard to fully detach from personal intent.
![“A mind conscious of right laughs at the falsehoods of rumour. [Lat., Conscia mens recti famae mendacia risit.]” quote by Ovid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/95c/ovid-276_conscious_a-mind-conscious-of-right-laughs-at-the_12185.jpg)
