The poet is at the edge of our consciousness of the world, finding beyond the suspected nothingness which we imagine limits our perception another acre or so of being worth our venturing upon.
Guy DavenportImagination is like the drunk man who lost his watch and must get drunk again to find it.
Guy DavenportTheres nothing like being a soldier for confidence or learning your limits or enduring utter humiliation.
Guy DavenportSometimes when reading Goethe I have the paralyzing suspicion that he is trying to be funny.
Guy DavenportThere are many objects of desire, and therefore many desires. Some are born with us, hunger, yearning, and pride of place, and some are of the foolishness of the world, such as the desire to eat off silver plates. Desire is a wild horse to be tamed. Virtue is habit long continued. The taming of desire is like the training of an athlete. Discipline is not the restraint but the use of energy.
Guy Davenport