Carolyn Kizer Quotes

Powerful Carolyn Kizer for Daily Growth

About Carolyn Kizer

Carolyn Kizer (1925-2014) was an esteemed American poet whose work explored themes of love, nature, and femininity with profound emotional depth and intellectual rigor. Born on August 3, 1925, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Kizer grew up in a Mormon household, where she developed her early appreciation for storytelling and language. However, she departed from the church's teachings and later identified as agnostic. Kizer attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she earned her Bachelor's degree in 1947. She then went on to obtain a Master's degree from Stanford University. Her academic pursuits were instrumental in shaping her poetic voice and expanding her literary influences, which ranged from the Romantics to modernist poets like T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound. Kizer's career as a poet took off in the 1960s when she became one of the founding members of the "Ferlinghetti School," named after the influential Beat Generation poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Her first collection, "The Islands: Poems" (1958), was nominated for the National Book Award and established her as a significant voice in contemporary American poetry. Throughout her career, Kizer published numerous collections of poetry, including "Yin" (1969), which won the National Book Critics Circle Award, and "The Long Letter: New and Selected Poems 1950-1970" (1971). Her final collection, "A Calendar of Origami" (2003), showcased her continued dedication to her craft. Kizer's poetry was marked by a unique blend of formal structure and free verse, as well as a keen eye for detail and an unflinching honesty in addressing complex emotional experiences. Her work continues to resonate with readers today due to its enduring themes and powerful lyricism. Kizer passed away on December 14, 2014, leaving behind a rich legacy as one of America's most celebrated poets.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Art is an act of love which says: Look how beautiful I found this thing."

This quote by Carolyn Kizer emphasizes the deep, emotional connection artists have with their work. Art, in its essence, is a creative expression of love towards the subject or idea being portrayed. It's not just about presenting something visually appealing, but rather sharing a personal discovery and appreciation for beauty found in the world around us. The artist invites others to share this admiration by offering a glimpse into their unique perspective on the wonders they have encountered.

"Life's too short for small dreams."

This quote suggests that one should not limit their aspirations or goals in life with modest expectations, as time is a precious resource that doesn't last forever. Instead, one should aim high and strive for significant achievements to make the most of their time on earth. In other words, dream big, pursue your passions vigorously, and don't settle for less than you truly desire in life.

"Poetry can console sorrow, make us aware of beautiful things in the world, comfort us, frighten us, threaten us with what we don't know, and remind us of what we do know but have forgotten."

Carolyn Kizer's quote suggests that poetry serves as a powerful tool for emotional expression and exploration. It can bring solace to those in sorrow, open our eyes to the beauty around us, provide comfort, evoke fear or apprehension, reveal unknown aspects of reality, and remind us of truths we may have forgotten but still hold within ourselves. Essentially, poetry is a multi-faceted means of human connection, allowing us to navigate our inner worlds as well as our shared experiences.

"I am not a poet; I am poetry."

This quote by Carolyn Kizer signifies that she does not view herself as a separate entity from her poetry, but instead identifies as an embodiment or manifestation of it. She is implying that her essence and art are inseparable; she is not merely a creator, but the very essence of what she creates - poetry. This suggests a profound sense of unity between the artist and their work, reflecting a deep immersion and identification with one's artistic expression.

"The human heart is larger than the universe: who can explore it?"

This quote suggests that the vastness, complexity, and depth of the human heart surpasses the infinite expanse of the universe. In essence, it implies that understanding the human spirit - with its emotions, motivations, thoughts, and desires - is a task far greater than comprehensively mapping out the cosmos. It underscores the profound mystery, depth, and complexity inherent within each individual, inviting us to continue exploring our own hearts as we strive to understand ourselves and others better.

As I remember, the first real poem I wrote was about the wheat fields between Spokane and Pullman, to the south.

- Carolyn Kizer

I Remember, South, Wrote, Wheat

I tell people I never got to hear Dylan Thomas read because my husband wouldn't let me, because he thought it would be a sort of bad influence. People say, 'And you didn't go?' They're so surprised because the me they know would have gone. And I say I was very much a 'yes, dear' wife.

- Carolyn Kizer

Thought, Bad, Very, Surprised

Environmental concerns and feminism are locked together. Generally, women have closer connections to the organic nature of our lives.

- Carolyn Kizer

Nature, Environmental, Lives, Locked

I wrote poetry off and on in high school, when I could manage to get out of gym classes and sports - using my allergies as an excuse - and climb the hill behind school till I found a nice place to settle down with a notebook and look at Spokane spread out below.

- Carolyn Kizer

Behind, Till, Classes, Manage

I used to get so many letters from students about the ending of 'Pro Femina.' So I had a stamp made that said 'irony, irony, irony' to put on a postcard and mail it back.

- Carolyn Kizer

Mail, Made, About, Letters

I began writing poems when I was about eight, with a heavy assist from my mother. She read me Arthur Waley's translations and Whitman and Robinson Jeffers, who have been lifelong influences on me. My father read Keats to me, and then he read more Keats while I was lying on the sofa struggling with asthma.

- Carolyn Kizer

Been, Arthur, Lifelong, Keats

I didn't learn much about writing at Sarah Lawrence, but I learned a lot about the sources of poems - dreams, myth, history - from the really great teachers, Joseph Campbell, Charles Trinkhaus, Bert Loewenberg, and a young Australian anthropologist named Harry Hawthorne.

- Carolyn Kizer

Young, Named, Sources, Lawrence

No matter how brief an encounter you have with anybody, you both change.

- Carolyn Kizer

How, Anybody, Brief, Encounter

I discovered it was easier to carry around a pen than a piano.

- Carolyn Kizer

Piano, Discovered, Than, Pen

I've been enormously fortunate. People say, 'How do you feel about your reputation?' My real belief is that I have exactly the reputation I deserve... on the whole, I feel comfortable with myself.

- Carolyn Kizer

Myself, Deserve, Been, Fortunate

I was raised to be a girl Michelangelo.

- Carolyn Kizer

Girl, Raised, Michelangelo, I Was Raised

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