Howard Nemerov quotes - page 2

A chronicle is very different from history proper. (Howard Nemerov)
I never abandoned either forms or freedom. I imagine that most of what could be called free verse is in my first book. I got through that fairly early. View quote
Howard Nemerov
Obvious enough that generalities work to protect the mind from the great outdoors; is it possible that this was in fact their first purpose? View quote
Howard Nemerov
Nothing in the universe can travel at the speed of light, they say, forgetful of the shadow's speed. View quote
Howard Nemerov
I am not at all clear what free verse is anymore. That's one of the things you learn not to know. View quote
Howard Nemerov
History is one of those marvelous and necessary illusions we have to deal with. It's one of the ways of dealing with our world with impossible generalities which we couldn't live without. View quote
Howard Nemerov
I think there's one thing which distinguishes our art - we don't consider. We don't think. We write a little verse because it comes to us. View quote
Howard Nemerov
Language is remarkable, except under the extreme constraints of mathematics and logic, it never can talk only about what it's supposed to talk about but is always spreading around. View quote
Howard Nemerov
Mostly the thought and the verse come inseparably. In my poem Poetics, it's as close as I come to telling how I do it. View quote
Howard Nemerov
Occasionally a student writer comes up with something really beautiful and moving, and you won't know for years if it was an accident or the first burst of something wonderful. View quote
Howard Nemerov
The nice thing about the Bible is it doesn't give you too many facts. Two an a half lines and it tells you the whole story and that leaves you a great deal of freedom to elaborate on how it might have happened. (Howard Nemerov)
The spirit world doesn't admit to communicating with me, so it's fairly even. View quote
Howard Nemerov
Religion and science both profess peace (and the sincerity of the professors is not being doubted), but each always turns out to have a dominant part in any war that is going or contemplated. View quote
Howard Nemerov
We're not in love with Literature all the time - especially when you have to teach it every day. View quote
Howard Nemerov
Language cares. View quote
Howard Nemerov
The only way out is the way through, just as you cannot escape from death except by dying. Being unable to write, you must examine in writing this being unable, which becomes for the present --henceforth --the subject to which you are condemned. View quote
Howard Nemerov