Novelists have to love humanity to write anything worthwhile. Poets have to love themselves.
–Marita Golden
Likewise, here is a comparison of 100 differences between poetry and prose.
[via Bookish]
A Mindful Life / Kathryn Harper
express : discover : renew : create
I like this one. What’s best are self-important “poets” who think a bunch of pretty, meaningless words strung together = poem. Gah.
I like the quote but I quite disagree.
Loathe. I think poets must loathe themselves.
Head over heels in love with life and the world.
But in total loathing with self.
I think all writers, or most (and artists and actors and other creative sorts) loathe themselves to varying degrees. I think self-loathing is where from the creative impulse springs.
But I could just be talking about myself.
(smile)
I disagree with the quote. Writing is about capturing the essence of an experience, not about polishing or destroying one’s own ego. We should write simply because we can.