--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Maybe lurking in my unconscious was the…" description: "\"Maybe lurking in my unconscious was the idea that when someone's collected poems are published it means that the poet is dead. I found myself looking a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/182/ron-padgett-31212_funeral_maybe-lurking-in-my-unconscious-was-the_1997028.jpg" --- # Maybe lurking in my unconscious was the idea that when… ![“Maybe lurking in my unconscious was the idea that when someone's collected poems are published it means that the poet is dead. I found myself looking at my work as if I were at my own funeral.” quote by Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/182/ron-padgett-31212_funeral_maybe-lurking-in-my-unconscious-was-the_1997028.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/182/ron-padgett-31212_funeral_maybe-lurking-in-my-unconscious-was-the_1997028.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/182/ron-padgett-31212_funeral_maybe-lurking-in-my-unconscious-was-the_1997028.jpg) > “Maybe lurking in my unconscious was the idea that when someone's collected poems are published it means that the poet is dead. I found myself looking at my work as if I were at my own funeral.” [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Publishing poems can feel like a personal death, prompting self‑reflection on legacy. **In simple terms:** Publishing feels like a funeral. Key Takeaway Embrace the living act of writing. Themes creativity mortality self‑perception Mood introspective melancholic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - book launches - poetry readings - self‑publication - artistic milestones Key Concepts psychology legacy Questions to Reflect On - How does publishing change your self‑view? - What does “death” symbolize for you? A Different Perspective Fear of death can stifle artistic expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Funeral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funeral/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) ## Related quotes > [I know nothing new except that Herr Gellert, the Leipzig poet, is dead, and has written no more poetry since his death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/i-know-nothing-new-except-that-herr-gellert-the-leipzig-poet-is-dead/) [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-amadeus-mozart/) > [I'm a big believer in the collective unconscious. The idea that there is a deep connection between all of us that goes back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-penkov/i-m-a-big-believer-in-the-collective-unconscious-the-idea-that-there/) [Miroslav Penkov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-penkov/) > [To create a perfume you have to be the servant of the unconscious. Each idea evolves and transforms, but there should be a surprise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/serge-lutens/to-create-a-perfume-you-have-to-be-the-servant-of-the-unconscious/) Serge Lutens > [“Here is the crux of it: between the conscious and unconscious mind we are more complex and given to concept than we are just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-bly/here-is-the-crux-of-it-between-the-conscious-and-unconscious-mind-we/) [Carol Bly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-bly/) > [However, I began to submit poems to British magazines, and some were accepted. It was a great moment to see my first poems published.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-dunmore/however-i-began-to-submit-poems-to-british-magazines-and-some-were/) [Helen Dunmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-dunmore/) > [When Emily Dickinson's poems were published in the 1890s, they were a best-seller; the first book of her poems went through eleven editions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/when-emily-dickinson-s-poems-were-published-in-the-1890s-they-were-a/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) > [My first book of poems was published privately in 1949. That was my mother. The book was '25 Poems.' It cost 200 dollars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/derek-walcott/my-first-book-of-poems-was-published-privately-in-1949-that-was-my/) [Derek Walcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/derek-walcott/) > [I had no idea, when I was writing early on, that my poems would be published or read by anyone, never mind people I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-duhamel/i-had-no-idea-when-i-was-writing-early-on-that-my-poems-would-be/) [Denise Duhamel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-duhamel/) > [“They're not. That's partly what's so awful. I mean they're not real poets. They're just people that write poems that get published and anthologized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/they-re-not-that-s-partly-what-s-so-awful-i-mean-they-re-not-real/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [Macmillan's rejection had left him very downcast... Patrick Swift was invited to peruse the contents and decided that the poems should be published.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-kavanagh/macmillan-s-rejection-had-left-him-very-downcast-patrick-swift-was/) [Patrick Kavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-kavanagh/) > [I think it's true to say that in 1973 I could read every book of poems that was published in a year, and I did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/i-think-it-s-true-to-say-that-in-1973-i-could-read-every-book-of/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) > [My first collection of poems was published by Bloodaxe Books, which was then a very new imprint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-dunmore/my-first-collection-of-poems-was-published-by-bloodaxe-books-which/) [Helen Dunmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-dunmore/) > [“They're just people that write poems that get published and anthologized all over the place but they're not poets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-salinger/they-re-just-people-that-write-poems-that-get-published-and/) [J.D. Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-salinger/) > [I'm of that generation of Jews still deeply influenced by the Holocaust. Certainly the notion that the state power to kill can be subject…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-turow/i-m-of-that-generation-of-jews-still-deeply-influenced-by-the/) [Scott Turow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-turow/) > [ Even \[Donald Trump\] presence was bullying, was lurking, and was just mainly creepy. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-portman/even-donald-trump-presence-was-bullying-was-lurking-and-was-just/) [Natalie Portman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-portman/) ## More by Ron Padgett > [I've been working on a collection of prose vignettes about girls I've had crushes on, from the age of six to the age of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-padgett/i-ve-been-working-on-a-collection-of-prose-vignettes-about-girls-i-ve/) [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) > [I don't do much of anything consciously in writing - in poetry writing, anyway, prose usually being a different matter, of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-padgett/i-don-t-do-much-of-anything-consciously-in-writing-in-poetry-writing/) [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) > [Take care of things close to home first. Straighten up your room before you save the world. Then save the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-padgett/take-care-of-things-close-to-home-first-straighten-up-your-room/) [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) > [Almost everything that's happened in my poetry is what you might call organic. I don't do much preconceiving. The only consistent plan I've ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-padgett/almost-everything-that-s-happened-in-my-poetry-is-what-you-might-call/) [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) > [Collaborating with someone who doesn't understand your language nor you theirs stretches you open even wider, into a sort of very large free fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-padgett/collaborating-with-someone-who-doesn-t-understand-your-language-nor/) [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) > [Working with artists and other poets has made me aware that there was a bigger "me" that I hadn't been quite aware of. Plus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-padgett/working-with-artists-and-other-poets-has-made-me-aware-that-there-was/) [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) > [It seems more than likely that the translating of poetry is going to rub off on the translator if he or she is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-padgett/it-seems-more-than-likely-that-the-translating-of-poetry-is-going-to/) [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) > [It's fun to have a crush on somebody, even one that lasts only fifteen seconds. In New York I can go down the street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-padgett/it-s-fun-to-have-a-crush-on-somebody-even-one-that-lasts-only-fifteen/) [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) > [Not everyone is at the top of his or her game all the time - you can't be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-padgett/not-everyone-is-at-the-top-of-his-or-her-game-all-the-time-you-can-t/) [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) > [It is not easy writing someone a postcard. The size and shape of the card cut you down to size...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-padgett/it-is-not-easy-writing-someone-a-postcard-the-size-and-shape-of-the/) [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) > [So writing about love or having it infuse the poems that I'm writing has never been something I've set myself to do, except when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-padgett/so-writing-about-love-or-having-it-infuse-the-poems-that-i-m-writing/) [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) > [“This for That What will I have for breakfast? I wish I had some plums like the ones in Williams’s poem. He apologized to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-padgett/this-for-that-what-will-i-have-for-breakfast-i-wish-i-had-some-plums/) [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) > [Part of the pleasure of giving a reading comes from the rapport between the audience and the poet. I don't want to get mystical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-padgett/part-of-the-pleasure-of-giving-a-reading-comes-from-the-rapport/) [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) > [“When I wake up earlier than you and you are turned to face me, face on the pillow and hair spread around, I take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-padgett/when-i-wake-up-earlier-than-you-and-you-are-turned-to-face-me-face-on/) [Ron Padgett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) [Explore all 15 Ron Padgett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-padgett/) ## More Funeral quotes > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/) [Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/) > [“Well, they took the neck bones down from the Royal Oaks tree. Rest of the bones they separated from the chains on the ground.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-e-wright/well-they-took-the-neck-bones-down-from-the-royal-oaks-tree-rest-of/) Sarah E Wright > [Christ never preached any funeral sermons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/christ-never-preached-any-funeral-sermons/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) > [ The most important thing I learned \[...\] was that when a person dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-extence/the-most-important-thing-i-learned-was-that-when-a-person-dies-he/) [Gavin Extence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-extence/) > [“What about your funeral, eh?” She asks. “You mean the one that is never going to happen ever because I am going to gather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-wolf/what-about-your-funeral-eh-she-asks-you-mean-the-one-that-is-never/) [Sara Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-wolf/) > [The Nobel is a ticket to one's own funeral. No one has ever done anything after he got it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/the-nobel-is-a-ticket-to-one-s-own-funeral-no-one-has-ever-done/) [T. S. Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-s-eliot/) > [“I feel like I just went to my own funeral. and I didn’t like the eulogy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lane-pryce/i-feel-like-i-just-went-to-my-own-funeral-and-i-didn-t-like-the-eulogy/) Lane Pryce > [The only way to have a funeral is to invite everyone who ever knew the person and just wait for the accident to happen-somebody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/the-only-way-to-have-a-funeral-is-to-invite-everyone-who-ever-knew/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [Much can they praise the trees so straight and high, The sailing pine,the cedar proud and tall, The vine-prop elm, the poplar never dry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-spenser/much-can-they-praise-the-trees-so-straight-and-high-the-sailing-pine/) [Edmund Spenser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-spenser/) > [Growing up, there were a lot of funerals that I attended, and the adults at the funerals went out of their way to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fuller/growing-up-there-were-a-lot-of-funerals-that-i-attended-and-the/) [Bryan Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fuller/) > [Funerals and weddings were commonplace, and nothing could have been so interesting to them as the coming of the end of the world ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-eggleston/funerals-and-weddings-were-commonplace-and-nothing-could-have-been-so/) [Edward Eggleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-eggleston/) > [I've got no idea when I am going to retire. Whenever they pick me up and take me to the funeral home, I guess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colonel-sanders/i-ve-got-no-idea-when-i-am-going-to-retire-whenever-they-pick-me-up/) [Colonel Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colonel-sanders/) > [My father? A hard drinking man from the 70's. We actually have no pictures of my dad where he is not holding a beer.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-titus/my-father-a-hard-drinking-man-from-the-70-s-we-actually-have-no/) [Christopher Titus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-titus/) > [At my funeral, if one said, 'Nick was a generous person,' trust me I won't be doing cartwheels in my coffin. Recognition from people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-vujicic/at-my-funeral-if-one-said-nick-was-a-generous-person-trust-me-i-won-t/) [Nick Vujicic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-vujicic/) [Browse all 1,014 Funeral quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funeral/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Maybe lurking in my unconscious was the idea that when someone's collected poems are published it means that the poet is dead. 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