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Anne Stevenson Quotes

Powerful Anne Stevenson for Daily Growth

About Anne Stevenson

Anne Stevenson (born April 17, 1935) is an acclaimed American-British poet known for her insightful and introspective work that blends elements of both cultures. Born in Oak Park, Illinois, she spent much of her childhood in Indiana before moving to England in 1956 to study at Newnham College, Cambridge University. This move marked the beginning of a life divided between the two nations, a duality that has deeply influenced her poetry. Stevenson's work is often steeped in personal experiences and emotions, reflecting her struggle with mental health issues. Her first collection, "Inearth" (1969), showcases this vulnerability, earning her recognition as a promising new voice in the world of poetry. In 1974, she published "Staying Alive," a collection that gained widespread acclaim and cemented her place among contemporary poets. One of her most notable works is "Madwoman's Underworld" (1982), a powerful exploration of femininity, mental illness, and the relationship between mother and daughter. This collection earned Stevenson the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry. Her other significant works include "The Collected Poems" (1987) and "Harmonium: New and Selected Poems" (2003), which received the T. S. Eliot Prize in 2004, making her the first American to win this prestigious award. Throughout her career, Stevenson has been influenced by a diverse range of poets, from Emily Dickinson and Gerard Manley Hopkins to William Shakespeare and John Donne. Her work continues to be celebrated for its depth, intimacy, and insight into the human condition. Anne Stevenson remains an influential figure in contemporary poetry, her biography a testament to the power of art as a means of exploring and understanding the complexities of life.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Love is not a matter of finding the perfect person, but learning to see an imperfect person perfectly."

This quote suggests that true love doesn't stem from finding someone who meets all our expectations or lacks no flaws; rather, it lies in accepting and appreciating an individual with their imperfections. It implies a deep understanding of another person, not just in terms of their strengths but also their weaknesses, and valuing them despite these shortcomings. It's about seeing beyond the surface-level imperfections and recognizing the beauty, worth, and potential in the person as a whole.

"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook."

This quote suggests that wisdom lies in identifying what is unimportant or inconsequential, and choosing not to focus on it. In other words, sometimes overlooking certain aspects can lead to a more harmonious or productive life. This doesn't mean ignoring important issues or turning a blind eye to problems, but rather prioritizing and focusing one's energy where it matters most. It encourages us to be discerning in our attention and actions, and not get bogged down by trivial details that may distract us from achieving our goals or finding peace of mind.

"Life is a series of hellos and goodbyes; I'm afraid it's time for another goodbye."

This quote by Anne Stevenson encapsulates the transient nature of life, highlighting its cyclical rhythm of meeting new people, experiences, and opportunities, only to eventually part ways or move on. It suggests a moment of acceptance, acknowledging that change is inevitable in our lives, and we must navigate through both the joys of "hellos" and the sorrows of "goodbyes". Ultimately, it underscores the bittersweet beauty in living and loving while embracing the impermanence that life offers.

"We are not nourished by what we read but by what we write."

This quote suggests that while reading provides us with knowledge, understanding, and ideas, it is through writing that we truly assimilate and internalize these insights. Writing allows us to process information deeply, express our thoughts, and transform the abstract into concrete, personal experiences. In essence, writing helps us to fully absorb, create, and grow from what we read.

"The past is like a dark tunnel you first have to go through in order to enter the light."

The quote suggests that the past, often associated with difficulties or challenges (a "dark tunnel"), must be experienced before one can move forward into a brighter future. It emphasizes the idea that life's struggles serve as stepping stones towards growth and understanding, and ultimately lead us towards a more enlightened state. This perspective encourages resilience in the face of adversity, as it implies that past hardships will eventually give way to new opportunities and insights.

Many varieties of sonnet, of course, have been written over the ages.

- Anne Stevenson

Over, Course, Been, Sonnet

Blake has always been a favorite, the lyrics, not so much the prophetic books, but I suppose Yeats influenced me more as a young poet, and the American, Robert Frost.

- Anne Stevenson

Young, Always, Been, Blake

My earlier poems were sadder than my poems are today, perhaps because I wrote them in confusion or when I was unhappy. But I am not a melancholy person, quite the contrary, no one enjoys laughing more than I do.

- Anne Stevenson

Melancholy, Perhaps, Earlier, Confusion

I married a young Englishman in Cambridge in 1955 and have lived in Britain every since.

- Anne Stevenson

Young, Englishman, Britain, Cambridge

I remain loyal to Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert in music and to Shakespeare and Jane Austen in literature.

- Anne Stevenson

Loyal, Schubert, Remain, Mozart

I did know Ted Hughes and I partly wrote the book to explain to myself and others the complexities of a marriage that was for six years wonderfully productive of poetry and then ended in tragedy.

- Anne Stevenson

Explain, Six, Hughes, Complexities

I work very hard on all my poems, but most of the work consists of trying not to sound as if I had worked. I try to make them sound as natural as possible, but within a quite strict form, which to my ears has a lot to do with musical rhythm and sound.

- Anne Stevenson

Sound, Very, Had, Strict

Writing in a strict form can surprise you.

- Anne Stevenson

Surprise, Writing, Form, Strict

A poem might be defined as thinking about feelings - about human feelings and frailties.

- Anne Stevenson

Poetry, Poem, Might, Defined

Poets these days, like artists and composers, have won for themselves almost unlimited freedom. You can pass yourself off as a painter without being able to draw, as a composer without being conscious of key relationships, and as a poet without making yourself familiar with traditional verse forms.

- Anne Stevenson

Without, Composers, Almost, Verse

I play with language a great deal in my poems, and I enjoy that. I try to condense language, that is, I try to express complicated but I hope real emotions as simply as possible. But that doesn't mean the poems are simple, just that they are as truthful as I can make them.

- Anne Stevenson

Enjoy, Play, Deal, Truthful

I am now seventy, rather glad, really, that I won't live to see the horrors to come in the 21st century.

- Anne Stevenson

Seventy, Horrors, Rather, 21st Century

I've cancelled all my subscriptions to poetry magazines. I prefer to read the 'New Scientist.'

- Anne Stevenson

New, Read, Prefer, Cancelled

I like rhyme because it is memorable, I like form because having to work to a pattern gives me original ideas.

- Anne Stevenson

Original, Like, Having, Rhyme

I truly hate marketing promotions, and I don't at all approve of encouraging wannabe poets to write bad poetry.

- Anne Stevenson

Marketing, Bad, Encouraging, Approve

Peter Lucas and I live in Durham but spend a great of time in North Wales, where we have a cottage in the mountains, and in Vermont, USA, with my sister - who is a children's writer married to a poet.

- Anne Stevenson

Mountains, USA, Lucas, Vermont

I dislike literary jargon and never use it. Criticism has only one function and that is to help readers read and understand literature. It is not a science, it is an aid to art.

- Anne Stevenson

Art, Dislike, Read, Jargon

I never wanted to be a pop star.

- Anne Stevenson

Never, Pop, Wanted, Pop Star

I'm not really quiet or shy. Ask any of my friends! But I always ground my poetry in life itself. Poetry is an art of language, though, so I am always aware of every word's meaning, or multiple meanings.

- Anne Stevenson

Life, Language, Shy, Meanings

There is far too much literary criticism of the wrong kind. That is why I never could have survived as an academic.

- Anne Stevenson

Kind, Could, Literary, Survived

Each word bears its weight, so you have to read my poems quite slowly.

- Anne Stevenson

Poetry, Poems, Read, Slowly

Looking back at it now, any objective account of my life is bound to read like a cross between 'The Wife of Bath's Tale' and a travel brochure.

- Anne Stevenson

Looking Back, My Life, Read, Bath

Have you ever heard of a pianist who never had to practice - or of an architect who didn't bother to find out why buildings stand up?

- Anne Stevenson

Practice, Bother, Architect, Stand Up

I write, or used to write, to explain to myself situations I couldn't otherwise solve or understand. Meditation comes very naturally to me.

- Anne Stevenson

Explain, Very, Otherwise, Situations

I have always made my own rules, in poetry as in life - though I have tried of late to cooperate more with my family. I do, however, believe that without order or pattern poetry is useless.

- Anne Stevenson

Always, However, Though, Useless

Poets should ignore most criticism and get on with making poetry.

- Anne Stevenson

Making, Get, Most, Poets

I think a poet, like a painter, should be a craftsperson.

- Anne Stevenson

Think, I Think, Painter, Poet

Sylvia Plath was just a month and a half older than I, and when she committed suicide I was only 30 - and very shocked and sorry. I never knew her personally.

- Anne Stevenson

Committed, Very, Half, Shocked

Yes, I do often write poems from the mind, but I hope I don't ignore feelings and emotions.

- Anne Stevenson

Mind, Emotions, Yes, Poems

I don't like poetry that just slaps violent words on a canvas, as it were.

- Anne Stevenson

Like, Violent, Were, Canvas

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