Art Quote by Wallace Stevens
“Most poets who have little or nothing to say are concerned primarily with the way in which they say it ... if it is true that the style of a poem and the poem itself are one, ... it may be ... that the poets who have little or nothing to say are, or will be, the poets that matter.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Necessary Angel" by Wallace Stevens, 1943
The quote suggests that poets lacking substantive content may still be important because their style and form become inseparable from the poem itself, making the way they say something as vital as the content.
In simple terms: Poets with little to say can matter if their style is integral.
Key Takeaway
Value form as much as content.
Themes
literature
style
creativity
artistic value
Mood
contemplative
analytical
Type
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- literary criticism
- creative teaching
- art exhibitions
- publishing decisions
Key Concepts
aestheticism
form-content unity
literary theory
Questions to Reflect On
- How does form influence meaning?
- When does style become the message?
A Different Perspective
If style dominates, the work may lack depth or relevance.
![“[poems are] crystals deposited after the effervescent contact of the spirit with reality. (cristaux deposes apres l'effervescent contact de l'esprit avec la realite)” quote by Pierre Reverdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/eb1/pierre-reverdy-33281_crystals_poems-are-crystals-deposited-after-the-e_13424.jpg)
