Denise Levertov
Denise Levertov
Denise Levertovwas a British-born American poet...
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth24 October 1923
mean social function
Insofar as poetry has a social function it is to awaken sleepers by other means than shock.
writing world language
One of the obligations of the writer is to say or sing all that he or she can, to deal with as much of the world as becomes possible to him or her in language.
turns marvelous guise
Marvelous Truth, confront us at every turn, in every guise.
prayer writing way
In certain ways writing is a form of prayer.
sweet women salt
There is no savor more sweet, more salt than to be glad to be what, woman, and who, myself, I am...
utopian quickness
Nothing we do has the quickness, the sureness, the deep intelligence living at peace would have.
believe space broken
I believe every space and comma is a living part of the poem and has its function, just as every muscle and pore of the body has its function. And the way the lines are broken is a functioning part essential to the life of the poem.
writing order stopping
A poet articulating the dreads and horrors of our time is necessary in order to make readers understand what is happening, really understand it, not just know about it but feel it: and should be accompanied by a willingness on the part of those who write it to take additional action towards stopping the great miseries which they record.
heart self mind
It's when we face for a moment the worst our kind can do, and shudder to know the taint in our own selves, that awe cracks the mind's shell and enters the heart.
prayer writing praying
I'm not very good at praying, but what I experience when I'm writing a poem is close to prayer.
art imagination venture
Both art and faith are dependent on imagination; both are ventures into the unknown.
instruction shore
You have come to the shore. There are no instructions.
consistent mystery poetry theme
Acknowledgement, and celebration, of mystery probably constitutes the most consistent theme of my poetry.
bell blow heard rang saying self singing
The day's blow rang out, metallic -- or it was I, a bell awakened, and what I heard was my whole self saying and singing what it knew: I can