A. R. Ammons

If a poem is each time new, then it is necessarily an act of discovery, a chance taken, a chance that may lead to fulfillment or disaster. ↗

— A. R. Ammons

#chance #disaster #discovery #each #fulfillment

If the greatest god is the stillness all the motions add up to, then we must ineluctably be included. ↗

— A. R. Ammons

#god #greatest #included #motions #must

If we ask a vague question, such as, 'What is poetry?' we expect a vague answer, such as, 'Poetry is the music of words,' or 'Poetry is the linguistic correction of disorder.' ↗

— A. R. Ammons

#ask #correction #disorder #expect #linguistic

In nature there are few sharp lines. ↗

— A. R. Ammons

#lines #nature #sharp

Once every five hundred years or so, a summary statement about poetry comes along that we can't imagine ourselves living without. ↗

— A. R. Ammons

#along #comes #every #five #hundred

Poetry leads us to the unstructured sources of our beings, to the unknown, and returns us to our rational, structured selves refreshed. ↗

— A. R. Ammons

#leads #our #poetry #rational #refreshed

Probably all the attention to poetry results in some value, though the attention is more often directed to lesser than to greater values. ↗

— A. R. Ammons

#directed #greater #lesser #more #often

Questions structure and, so, to some extent predetermine answers. ↗

— A. R. Ammons

#extent #questions #some #structure

That's a wonderful change that's taken place, and so most poetry today is published, if not directly by the person, certainly by the enterprise of the poet himself, working with his friends. ↗

— A. R. Ammons

#change #directly #enterprise #friends #himself

The poet exposes himself to the risk. All that has been said about poetry, all that he has learned about poetry, is only a partial assurance. ↗

— A. R. Ammons

#assurance #been #exposes #himself #learned