--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm never quite sure how the poem is…" description: "\"I'm never quite sure how the poem is going to resolve itself and that I'm always in some way surprised. I make a discovery in a poem as I write it.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/rita-dove-4855_discovery_i-m-never-quite-sure-how-the-poem-is-goi_1394044.jpg" --- # I'm never quite sure how the poem is going to resolve… ![“I'm never quite sure how the poem is going to resolve itself and that I'm always in some way surprised. I make a discovery in a poem as I write it.” quote by Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/rita-dove-4855_discovery_i-m-never-quite-sure-how-the-poem-is-goi_1394044.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/rita-dove-4855_discovery_i-m-never-quite-sure-how-the-poem-is-goi_1394044.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ab1/rita-dove-4855_discovery_i-m-never-quite-sure-how-the-poem-is-goi_1394044.jpg) > “I'm never quite sure how the poem is going to resolve itself and that I'm always in some way surprised. I make a discovery in a poem as I write it.” [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 experiences surprise and discovery during composition, acknowledging that poems evolve unpredictably and reveal new insights as they are written. **In simple terms:** Writing poetry is a process of unexpected revelations. Key Takeaway Embrace uncertainty in creation. Themes creativity process surprise discovery Mood inspired reflective Type artistic motivational When to use this quote - writing workshops - personal journaling - creative projects Key Concepts artistic intuition creative flow poetic development Questions to Reflect On - What unexpected ideas have emerged in your work? - How does surprise influence your creative confidence? A Different Perspective The poem may resolve in ways beyond the poet's control. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) [Never quit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/never-quit/) [Poem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poem/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Resolve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resolve/) [Surprised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surprised/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I make a discovery in a poem as I write it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/i-make-a-discovery-in-a-poem-as-i-write-it/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [There is no scientific discoverer, no poet, no painter, no musician, who will not tell you that he found ready made his discovery or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-kingdon-clifford/there-is-no-scientific-discoverer-no-poet-no-painter-no-musician-who/) [William Kingdon Clifford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-kingdon-clifford/) > [We re-make nature by the act of discovery, in the poem or in the theorem. And the great poem and the deep theorem are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/we-re-make-nature-by-the-act-of-discovery-in-the-poem-or-in-the/) [Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/) > [“The poem or the discovery exists in two moments of vision: the moment of appreciation as much as that of creation; for the appreciator…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-bronowski/the-poem-or-the-discovery-exists-in-two-moments-of-vision-the-moment/) [Jacob Bronowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-bronowski/) > [“Offering I made a poem going to sleep last night, woke in sunlight, it was clean forgotten. If it was any good, gods of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-k-le-guin/offering-i-made-a-poem-going-to-sleep-last-night-woke-in-sunlight-it/) [Ursula K. Le Guin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-k-le-guin/) > [If you know what you are going to write when you're writing a poem, it's going to be average.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-walcott/if-you-know-what-you-are-going-to-write-when-you-re-writing-a-poem-it/) [Derek Walcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-walcott/) > [I've written some poems that are in the middle ground - who are in between very challenging and abundantly clear, but there's a tremendous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-kooser/i-ve-written-some-poems-that-are-in-the-middle-ground-who-are-in/) [Ted Kooser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-kooser/) > [I think what gets a poem going is an initiating line. Sometimes a first line will occur, and it goes nowhere; but other times…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/i-think-what-gets-a-poem-going-is-an-initiating-line-sometimes-a/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [“no poet can know what his poem is going to be like until he has written it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/no-poet-can-know-what-his-poem-is-going-to-be-like-until-he-has/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [A poem I write is not just about me; it is about national identity, not just regional but national, the history of people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-trethewey/a-poem-i-write-is-not-just-about-me-it-is-about-national-identity-not/) [Natasha Trethewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-trethewey/) > [Write the poem only you can write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-collins/write-the-poem-only-you-can-write/) [Billy Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-collins/) > [“sad is the poem i will never write”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeet-how-romentic/sad-is-the-poem-i-will-never-write/) Jeet how Romentic > [“I wanna make growing old with you the last poem I ever have to write”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-biondi/i-wanna-make-growing-old-with-you-the-last-poem-i-ever-have-to-write/) [Michael Biondi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-biondi/) > [Every poem I write falls short in some important way. But I go on trying to write the one that won’t.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorianne-laux/every-poem-i-write-falls-short-in-some-important-way-but-i-go-on/) [Dorianne Laux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorianne-laux/) > [“The Life is Poem, we write when we are Young, sing along all through Life, and we reap the truth when we are Old.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-t-v-rao-md/the-life-is-poem-we-write-when-we-are-young-sing-along-all-through/) [Dr.T.V.Rao MD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-t-v-rao-md/) ## 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 Discovery quotes > [ 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/) > [Throughout my work, I have assumed that the standard model is correct, and hence, the Higgs boson should be found. Although this is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashoke-sen/throughout-my-work-i-have-assumed-that-the-standard-model-is-correct/) [Ashoke Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashoke-sen/) > [There is usually no dreamer so unworldly as the anthologist. He wanders in a vast garden, lost in wonder, unable to decide often between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-webb/there-is-usually-no-dreamer-so-unworldly-as-the-anthologist-he/) [Mary Webb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-webb/) > [New generations of humans inherit the acquired discoveries of generations past, allowing cosmic insight to accumulate without limit. Each discovery of science therefore adds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/new-generations-of-humans-inherit-the-acquired-discoveries-of/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The discovery that heartbreak is indeed heartbreaking consoles us about our humanity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-shriver/the-discovery-that-heartbreak-is-indeed-heartbreaking-consoles-us/) [Lionel Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-shriver/) > [ “\[W\]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves-to-the-discovery-that-some-of/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [We cannot predict the new forces, powers, and discoveries that will be disclosed to us when we reach the other planets and set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-c-clarke/we-cannot-predict-the-new-forces-powers-and-discoveries-that-will-be/) [Arthur C. Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-c-clarke/) > [ That has been another interesting discovery: that basically a city \[Lagos\] could recover from a really deep, deep, deep pit. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rem-koolhaas/that-has-been-another-interesting-discovery-that-basically-a-city/) [Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rem-koolhaas/) > [Every fact of science was once Damned. Every invention was considered impossible. Every discovery was a nervous shock to some orthodoxy. Every artistic innovation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-anton-wilson/every-fact-of-science-was-once-damned-every-invention-was-considered/) [Robert Anton Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-anton-wilson/) > [When we look at the love of Christ, we make a wonderful discovery. Love is more a decision than an emotion! Christ-like love applauds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/when-we-look-at-the-love-of-christ-we-make-a-wonderful-discovery-love/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [Discovery is the ability to be puzzled by simple things. Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/discovery-is-the-ability-to-be-puzzled-by-simple-things-noam-chomsky/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“In December of 2007 human bones including skulls, which have been radiocarbon dated back to between 1304 and 1424, were found in a museum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-hank-bracker-seawater-one/in-december-of-2007-human-bones-including-skulls-which-have-been/) Captain Hank Bracker, "Seawater One > [The European talks of progress because by the aid of a few scientific discoveries he has established a society which has mistaken comfort for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/the-european-talks-of-progress-because-by-the-aid-of-a-few-scientific/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/education-is-a-progressive-discovery-of-our-own-ignorance/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [The characters in my novels are my own unrealized possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-characters-in-my-novels-are-my-own-unrealized-possibilities-that/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) [Browse all 3,125 Discovery quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discovery/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm never quite sure how the poem is going to resolve itself and that I'm always in some way surprised. 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