Able Quote by Tracy K. Smith
“I know that in a poem, even when the speaker is speaking from the poet's experience, there's always something that's borrowed, some authority that sits outside of the poet that the poem has claimed. There's a dramatic pitch that makes the speaker capable of saying something more courageous or stranger or simply other than what the poet would be able to say.”
About This Quote
Source Poetry Lecture, Stanford University, 2018
Poems borrow external authority, allowing speakers to express bold, unfamiliar ideas.
In simple terms: Poems use outside voices for daring expression.
Key Takeaway
Embrace external perspectives in writing.
Themes
creativity
voice
authority
Mood
thoughtful
analytical
Type
theoretical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- literary analysis
- performance poetry
Key Concepts
intertextuality
poetic license
speaker identity
Questions to Reflect On
- How does borrowed authority affect authenticity?
- When is it appropriate to adopt another voice?
A Different Perspective
Risk of losing personal authenticity.
