Marianne Moore
Marianne Moore
Marianne Craig Moorewas an American Modernist poet, critic, translator, and editor. Her poetry is noted for formal innovation, precise diction, irony, and wit...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth15 November 1887
CityKirkwood, MO
CountryUnited States of America
Marianne Moore quotes about
firsts mastery made
A symbol from the first, of mastery, experiments such as Hippocrates made and substituted for vague speculation stayed the ravages of plague.
fall fighting animal
Maine should be pleased that its animal is not a waverer, and rather than fight, lets the primed quill fall. Shallow oppressor, intruder, insister, you have found a resister.
brave be-brave reluctant
We Call Them the Brave who likely were reluctant to be brave.
experts unicorn disappear
So wary as to disappear for centuries and reappear but never caught, the unicorn has been preserved by an unmatched device wrought like the work of expert blacksmiths ...
impossible force hinder
that which is impossible to force, it is impossible to hinder.
poetic primal
Poetry, that is to say the poetic, is a primal necessity.
foxes arctic
To wear the arctic fox you have to kill it.
heart men males
You are not male nor female, but a plan deep-set within the heart of man.
honesty compliment frank
When one is frank, one's very presence is a compliment.
blessed genius egomania
Blessed the geniuses who know / that egomania is not a duty.
art reading mean
It is in general true that in order to create works of art one has to have leisure. On the other hand I think that one needs to experience resistance in a practical sense, and even that which is poignant to bring out what makes easy reading for others. Too much deprivation of course, means death.
creative conquer detachment
One detects creative power by its capacity to conquer one's detachment.
beauty stars tears
Below the incandescent stars / below the incandescent fruit, / the strange experience of beauty; / its existence is too much; / it tears one to pieces / and each fresh wave of consciousness / is poison.
resistance wool assertiveness
Wolf's wool is the best of wool, / but it cannot be sheared because / the wolf will not comply.