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Derek Walcott Quotes


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Quotes by Derek Walcott

Showing 61-70 of 119 Quotes by Derek Walcott

There's always a need at a critical time for poetry.

~Derek Walcott

Topics: Always Critical Need Poetry Time

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I don't believe that poetry is in danger because nobody wants to read it or appreciate it. There is a tremendous audience for it on any given day or night. You just have to know where to look.

~Derek Walcott

Topics: Any Appreciate Audience Because Believe Danger Day Given Just Know Look Night Nobody Poetry Read Tremendous Wants Where You

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Look at Allen Ginsberg. In poems like 'Kaddish' and 'Howl,' you can hear a cantor between the lines. It's fully alive, and I think that's what's missing in modern poetry. It's too dry and cerebral.

~Derek Walcott

Topics: Alive Allen Between Cerebral Dry Fully Hear Howl Like Lines Look Missing Modern Poems Poetry Think Too You I Think

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I can't tear up a poem and be a sound bite for you. Why is that so hard for anyone to understand?

~Derek Walcott

Topics: Anyone Bite Hard Poem Sound Sound Bite Tear Understand Up Why You

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A long time ago, I thought, as a writer in the Caribbean, 'I don't ever want to have to write 'It was great in Paris.'' Because I don't think, proportionately speaking, that one's experience in a city as opposed to, say, a village in St. Lucia, is superior to the other.

~Derek Walcott

Topics: Because Caribbean City Ever Experience Great Long Long Time Long Time Ago Opposed Other Paris Say Speaking Superior Think Thought Time Village Want Write Writer

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The thing a writer has to avoid is being the 'voice' of his people and pretending he can speak for them.

~Derek Walcott

Topics: Avoid Being He His People Pretending Speak Them Thing Voice Writer

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There are certain functions that a writer has to do. In a time of crisis, it is great to have heroic poems, as it was in the Irish Revolution. It's great to have great songs, because people need something to sing when they are marching. That's OK, but it should be on the side. It's not the ultimate thing.

~Derek Walcott

Topics: Because Certain Crisis Functions Great Great Songs Heroic Irish Marching Need Ok People Poems Revolution Should Side Sing Something Songs Thing Time Ultimate Writer

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The Chinese, the African, and the European - they are all there. So the division of the Caribbean experience into being emphatically only African is absurd.

~Derek Walcott

Topics: Absurd African Being Caribbean Chinese Division European Experience Only

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Miscegenation is not an idea that we would have in the Caribbean. It wouldn't come up because anybody could marry anybody, you know. I'm not saying that there aren't prejudices in the Caribbean, but the idea of the word 'miscegenation' is not something that we think of.

~Derek Walcott

Topics: Anybody Because Caribbean Come Could Idea Know Marry Prejudices Saying Something Think Up Word Would You

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The poet complains or points out the discontent that lies at the heart of man, the individual man, and how can that be redeemed?

~Derek Walcott

Topics: Complains Discontent Heart How Individual Lies Man Out Poet Points Redeemed

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Biography

Nationality: Unknown

Type: Poet

Born: January 23rd, 1930

Links

Find Derek Walcott on Amazon

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