David Whyte
David Whyte
David Whytewas an English professional footballer who played as a striker...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
admitting exactly grounded honesty humility indeed
Honesty is grounded in humility and indeed in humiliation, and in admitting exactly where we are powerless.
believe exile generous grow receiving
We learn, grow and become compassionate and generous as much through exile as homecoming, as much through loss as gain, as much through giving things away as in receiving what we believe to be our due.
richness saving speak time
We speak continually of saving time, but time in its richness is most often lost to us when we are busy without relief.
admit beyond difficult fallible greatest lose powers sincere understand unspoken
To admit regret is to understand that we are fallible - that there are powers beyond us. To admit regret is to lose control not only of a difficult past but of the very story we tell about our present. To admit sincere and abiding regret is one of our greatest but unspoken contemporary sins.
great poetry
The thing about great poetry is we have no defenses against it.
adolescent almost attempting longer partly relate tough
There are many tough conversations, but one of the most difficult is between a parent and an adolescent daughter, partly because as a parent we are almost always attempting to relate to someone who is no longer there.
art children thinking
A good poem has its own life. It's like bringing a child into the world. You, the poet, birthed the child, but the child will surprise you continually. I think a work of art has its own aliveness, its own future.
writing want feels
If I don't have time for the writing, it's because I'm not making that time. It's really just a question of whether you want to or not, whether you feel you deserve to write or not.
loss dishonesty conscious
The fear of loss, in one form or another, is the motivator behind all conscious and unconscious dishonesties.
your-side rivers discipline
I love the best of all the traditions. My discipline is the take-no-prisoners language of good poetry, but a language that actually frees us from prejudice, no matter what religion or political persuasion they are. I try to create a river-like discourse. The river is not political, it's not on your side or against you. It's an invitation into the onward flow.
expectations woven fabric
In England especially, poetry's woven into the background fabric of society. And in Ireland, it's in the foreground. The place of the poet in Irish society is enormous. If you say you're a poet in Ireland, you'd better know what you're doing, because the standard and the expectations are incredibly high.
body felt
The great poems are not about experience, but are the experience itself, felt in the body.
loss looks gains
A good poem looks life straight in the face, unflinching, sincere, equal to revelation through loss or gain.
art skills world
Poetry is often the art of overhearing yourself say things you didn't know you knew. It is a learned skill to force yourself to articulate your life, your present world or your possibilities for the future.