--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I keep the drafts of each poem in…" description: "\"I keep the drafts of each poem in color-coded folders. I pick up the folders according to how I feel about that color that day.\" — Rita Dove" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/rita-dove-4855_color_i-keep-the-drafts-of-each-poem-in-color_1413071.jpg" --- # I keep the drafts of each poem in color-coded folders. I… ![“I keep the drafts of each poem in color-coded folders. I pick up the folders according to how I feel about that color that day.” quote by Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/rita-dove-4855_color_i-keep-the-drafts-of-each-poem-in-color_1413071.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/rita-dove-4855_color_i-keep-the-drafts-of-each-poem-in-color_1413071.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/rita-dove-4855_color_i-keep-the-drafts-of-each-poem-in-color_1413071.jpg) > “I keep the drafts of each poem in color-coded folders. I pick up the folders according to how I feel about that color that day.” [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The poet organizes drafts by color to match mood, using visual cues to guide creative choices. **In simple terms:** Color‑coded folders help align poetry with emotional state. Key Takeaway Use visual organization to support creative flow. Themes creativity organization emotion process Mood reflective inspirational Type creative practical When to use this quote - writing workshops - personal studios - creative retreats - artist residencies Key Concepts color theory workflow mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - How can color influence artistic decisions? - What other sensory cues aid creativity? A Different Perspective May limit flexibility if mood changes unexpectedly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color/) [Drafts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drafts/) [Drafts Poem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drafts-poem-3317415/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [Folders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folders/) [Folders According](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folders-according-4985135/) [Pick Folders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pick-folders-4985136/) [Poem Color](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poem-color-4985134/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) ## Related quotes > [I need about one hundred fifty drafts of a poem to get it right, and fifty more to make it sound spontaneous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dickey/i-need-about-one-hundred-fifty-drafts-of-a-poem-to-get-it-right-and/) [James Dickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dickey/) > [In my own work, I usually revise through forty or fifty drafts of a poem before I begin to feel content with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-oliver/in-my-own-work-i-usually-revise-through-forty-or-fifty-drafts-of-a/) [Mary Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-oliver/) > [I have a high guilt quotient. A poem can go through as many as 50 or 60 drafts. It can take from a day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/i-have-a-high-guilt-quotient-a-poem-can-go-through-as-many-as-50-or/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [I just chuck a bunch of words down and whether they find themselves into a song... I have lots of weird notes on my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomston/i-just-chuck-a-bunch-of-words-down-and-whether-they-find-themselves/) [Thomston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomston/) > [I work with a lot of different editors at different publishers and magazines and so on, and having a system of shared folders makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-gurstelle/i-work-with-a-lot-of-different-editors-at-different-publishers-and/) [William Gurstelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-gurstelle/) > [I have a folder in my office with about 400 ideas in it. So it will take me another 40 years to get through those.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-have-a-folder-in-my-office-with-about-400-ideas-in-it-so-it-will/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [No one likes to see a government folder with his name on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/no-one-likes-to-see-a-government-folder-with-his-name-on-it/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I've got a folder full of rejection slips that I keep. Know why? Because those same editors are now calling my agent hoping I'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryjanice-davidson/i-ve-got-a-folder-full-of-rejection-slips-that-i-keep-know-why/) [MaryJanice Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryjanice-davidson/) > [I had saved a few hundred photos of dodo skeletons into my 'Creative Projects' folder - it's a repository for my brain, everything that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-savage/i-had-saved-a-few-hundred-photos-of-dodo-skeletons-into-my-creative/) [Adam Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-savage/) > [I'm superstitious about the paper that I use, for example. I've written all my novels on a paper of a particular size with lines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/i-m-superstitious-about-the-paper-that-i-use-for-example-i-ve-written/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Taxonomy (the science of classification) is often undervalued as a glorified form of filing-with each species in its folder, like a stamp in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/taxonomy-the-science-of-classification-is-often-undervalued-as-a/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [In every mutual fund prospectus, in every sales promotional folder, and in every mutual fund advertisement (albeit in print almost too small to read),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-samuelson/in-every-mutual-fund-prospectus-in-every-sales-promotional-folder-and/) [Paul Samuelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-samuelson/) > [Why can't you summon a command line and search your real-world home for 'Honda car keys,' and specify rooms in your house to search…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dooling/why-can-t-you-summon-a-command-line-and-search-your-real-world-home/) [Richard Dooling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dooling/) > [When I got onto set with him we were given a folder of storyboards. I thought that was pretty incredible because I hadn't worked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mia-wasikowska/when-i-got-onto-set-with-him-we-were-given-a-folder-of-storyboards-i/) [Mia Wasikowska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mia-wasikowska/) > ['A Fair Maiden' existed in notes and sketches for perhaps a year. When I traveled, I would take along with me my folder of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-fair-maiden-existed-in-notes-and-sketches-for-perhaps-a-year-when-i/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## More by Rita Dove > [I think children have talent and insight, but it gets beaten out of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/i-think-children-have-talent-and-insight-but-it-gets-beaten-out-of/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [Courage has nothing to do with our determination to be great. It has to do with what we decide in that moment when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/courage-has-nothing-to-do-with-our-determination-to-be-great-it-has/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [Libraries are where it all begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/libraries-are-where-it-all-begins/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [My inspiration comes from everywhere, just walking down the street and I never know where it's going to come from, so I keep a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/my-inspiration-comes-from-everywhere-just-walking-down-the-street-and/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [To write for PC reasons, because you think you ought to be dealing with this subject, is never going to yield anything that is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/to-write-for-pc-reasons-because-you-think-you-ought-to-be-dealing/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [All of us have moments in our childhood where we come alive for the first time. And we go back to those moments and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/all-of-us-have-moments-in-our-childhood-where-we-come-alive-for-the/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [The First Book: Go ahead, it won't bite. Well... maybe a little. More a nip, like. A tingle. It's pleasurable, really. You see, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/the-first-book-go-ahead-it-won-t-bite-well-maybe-a-little-more-a-nip/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [Sometimes a word is found so right it trembles at the slightest explanation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/sometimes-a-word-is-found-so-right-it-trembles-at-the-slightest/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [Listen how they say your name. If they can't say that right, there's no way they're going to know how to treat you proper,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/listen-how-they-say-your-name-if-they-can-t-say-that-right-there-s-no/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [People write me from all over the country, asking me, and sometimes even telling me, what they think a poet laureate should do. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/people-write-me-from-all-over-the-country-asking-me-and-sometimes/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [Creative writing and literacy go hand and hand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/creative-writing-and-literacy-go-hand-and-hand/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [There are distinct duties of a poet laureate. I plan a reading series at the Library of Congress and advise the librarian. The rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/there-are-distinct-duties-of-a-poet-laureate-i-plan-a-reading-series/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [My first advice would be to read, read, read, which sounds interesting coming in a digital age, but it's so much easier to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/my-first-advice-would-be-to-read-read-read-which-sounds-interesting/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [To me, a poem is almost like someone whispering to another person, or you hear the whispering in your head. I hope with my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/to-me-a-poem-is-almost-like-someone-whispering-to-another-person-or/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [I was not interested in doing the plot of OEDIPUS in blackface. I did wonder, what would these people have been like if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/i-was-not-interested-in-doing-the-plot-of-oedipus-in-blackface-i-did/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) [Explore all 106 Rita Dove quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) ## More Color quotes > [We never really perceive what color is physically!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josef-albers/we-never-really-perceive-what-color-is-physically/) [Josef Albers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josef-albers/) > [A Light exists in Spring Not present on the Year At any other period - When March is scarcely here A Color stands abroad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-dickinson/a-light-exists-in-spring-not-present-on-the-year-at-any-other-period/) [Emily Dickinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-dickinson/) > [The color of somebody's skin or the way he wears his hair or clothes has nothing to do with anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-color-of-somebody-s-skin-or-the-way-he-wears-his-hair-or-clothes/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > ['Lovecraft Country' is reclaiming all these pulp genres for people of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-green/lovecraft-country-is-reclaiming-all-these-pulp-genres-for-people-of/) [Misha Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-green/) > [When I haven't any blue I use red.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-picasso/when-i-haven-t-any-blue-i-use-red/) [Pablo Picasso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-picasso/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [A well-fashioned day - with a beginning and an end, a purpose and a content, a color and a character, a feel and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/a-well-fashioned-day-with-a-beginning-and-an-end-a-purpose-and-a/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [It is sometimes said that scientists are unromantic, that their passion to figure out robs the world of beauty and mystery. But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [If you're white and you're wrong, then you're wrong; if you're black and you're wrong, you're wrong. People are people. Black, blue, pink, green…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-marley/if-you-re-white-and-you-re-wrong-then-you-re-wrong-if-you-re-black/) [Bob Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-marley/) > [Today, at Harvard, any student with the currently fashionable color of skin is given rights denied to students of the currently unfashionable color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-capp/today-at-harvard-any-student-with-the-currently-fashionable-color-of/) [Al Capp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-capp/) > [Orange is my favorite color overall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-earnhardt-jr/orange-is-my-favorite-color-overall/) [Dale Earnhardt Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-earnhardt-jr/) > [To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-evoke-in-oneself-a-feeling-one-has-once-experienced-and-having/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [We have to keep in practice like musicians. Besides, there are still potentialities to be realized in color film. To us, it's just like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/we-have-to-keep-in-practice-like-musicians-besides-there-are-still/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [Truth needs no color; beauty, no pencil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/truth-needs-no-color-beauty-no-pencil/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [It is exactly in the repetition of the exercises that the education of the senses exists; not that the child shall know colors, forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/it-is-exactly-in-the-repetition-of-the-exercises-that-the-education/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) [Browse all 5,594 Color quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/color/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I keep the drafts of each poem in color-coded folders. 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