I was pirouette and flourish, I was filigree and flame. How could I count my blessings when I didn't know their names?
Rita DoveIf weโre going to solve the problems of the world, we have to learn how to talk to one another. Poetry is the language at its essence. Itโs the bones and the skeleton of the language. It teaches you, if nothing else, how to choose your words.
Rita DoveTo me, a poem is almost like someone whispering to another person, or you hear the whispering in your head. I hope with my own poems that the reader feels a connection, soul to soul, that'll help us all feel a little less alone on the planet. And it does have the power to direct change. A writer can make the word 'dark' be something positive. You can relieve a word like 'hysterical' of its misogynistic implications. You can make the language your own. That's what poetry is about.
Rita DoveThe First Book: Go ahead, it won't bite. Well... maybe a little. More a nip, like. A tingle. It's pleasurable, really. You see, it keeps on opening. You may fall in. Sure, it's hard to get started; remember learning to use knife and fork? Dig in: you'll never reach bottom. It's not like it's the end of the world -- just the world as you think you know it.
Rita Dove