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Howard Nemerov Quotes

Powerful Howard Nemerov for Daily Growth

About Howard Nemerov

Howard Nemerov (March 14, 1920 – December 5, 1991) was an esteemed American poet, short-story writer, novelist, essayist, academic, and translator who made significant contributions to contemporary literature. Born in New York City, he spent much of his childhood in Detroit where he developed a strong appreciation for the arts and literature, particularly after receiving a copy of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Nemerov served as a United States Army Infantry soldier during World War II. His experiences during this time influenced many of his later works, including the collection "War Stories" (1964), which reflected on his time in combat. After the war, he earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and went on to complete a Ph.D. in English at Vanderbilt University. In 1954, Nemerov published his first poetry collection, "The Great Tradition," which showcased his skillful blending of traditional forms with modern subject matter. This work earned him the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1963, making him the first Jewish winner and the youngest recipient at that time. Nemerov's career saw numerous other accomplishments. He served as a professor of English at several prestigious institutions including Vanderbilt University, Brandeis University, Stanford University, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 1984, he was appointed the United States Poet Laureate, a position that allowed him to promote poetry and literacy in America during his tenure. Throughout his life, Nemerov published numerous works, including the novels "The Homecoming" (1956) and "The Opening of the Eye" (1974), short stories, essays, translations, and over a dozen poetry collections such as "The Salt Garden" (1962) and "The Collected Poems: 1947-1980." His body of work displays an intricate understanding of language and a profound ability to convey complex emotions and ideas. Howard Nemerov remains an influential figure in American literature for his versatility, mastery of language, and commitment to the arts. His legacy continues to inspire new generations of writers today.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"A poem, like a dream, is made by a magician who weaves rapture on a loom of words."

This quote suggests that a poem, similar to a dream, is a creation woven by an artist using the threads of language. Just as dreams are vivid and emotional experiences, a poem captures feelings and ideas in a unique and imaginative way, creating a sense of wonder or rapture for its readers. The magician in this metaphor represents the poet, who spins words into a tapestry of beauty, evoking emotions and thoughts through their art.

"Art is the only serious thing in the world. And the artist is the only person who is never serious because he has to laugh at himself continually for taking his own work so seriously."

This quote suggests that while art, as a form of human expression and creation, holds great importance, the artists themselves must maintain a sense of humor and self-awareness about their work. They are required to laugh at themselves because they take their art so seriously and understand its profound significance in the world. Artists have a unique responsibility to push boundaries, explore new ideas, and create something meaningful, but this process often involves personal sacrifice, vulnerability, and a deep emotional investment. Therefore, maintaining a sense of humor helps artists stay grounded, avoid egoism, and continue growing as individuals and artists.

"The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes."

This quote by Howard Nemerov suggests that creativity and planning, particularly for writing a book, can be fostered in everyday, seemingly mundane activities like doing the dishes. It implies that moments of quiet reflection or idle hands can provide fertile ground for ideas to germinate and plans to take shape. Essentially, he encourages us to utilize every moment of our lives, even the most routine ones, as potential sources of inspiration and progress towards our goals.

"Poetry is a mirror which makes beautiful that which is distorted, and brings to light what is hidden in shame."

This quote suggests that poetry serves as a transformative medium, taking imperfections or things hidden from view (either due to their ugliness or our own embarrassment) and revealing their inherent beauty. It's a powerful tool for reflection and introspection, helping us see ourselves, the world, and even our flaws in a more vivid and appreciative light.

"Art is a way of questioning everything we know and thought we understood in order to let us sense again what we are and what it might be inside ourselves as well as all around us that we do not know."

This quote by Howard Nemerov emphasizes the transformative power of art. By challenging our established perceptions, art encourages us to rediscover ourselves and the world, tapping into aspects of reality we may have overlooked or forgotten. Art serves as a means of questioning our understanding, fostering curiosity and opening us up to new insights about life and identity.

History is one of those marvelous and necessary illusions we have to deal with. It's one of the ways of dealing with our world with impossible generalities which we couldn't live without.

- Howard Nemerov

Deal, Necessary, Which, Our World

The historian is terribly responsible to what he can discern are the facts of the case, but he's nothing if he doesn't make out a case.

- Howard Nemerov

Nothing, Historian, Terribly, Discern

Robert Frost had always said you mustn't think of the last line first, or it's only a fake poem, not a real one. I'm inclined to agree.

- Howard Nemerov

Think, Always, Last, Fake

I like all my children, even the squat and ugly ones.

- Howard Nemerov

Children, Like, Even, Squat

For a Jewish Puritan of the middle class, the novel is serious, the novel is work, the novel is conscientious application why, the novel is practically the retail business all over again.

- Howard Nemerov

Business, Middle, Over, Middle Class

When I was starting to write, the great influence was T.S. Eliot and after that William Butler Yeats.

- Howard Nemerov

Starting, William, After, Butler

Occasionally a student writer comes up with something really beautiful and moving, and you won't know for years if it was an accident or the first burst of something wonderful.

- Howard Nemerov

Wonderful, Student, Really, Burst

I think there's one thing which distinguishes our art - we don't consider. We don't think. We write a little verse because it comes to us.

- Howard Nemerov

Art, Think, Which, Distinguishes

I am not at all clear what free verse is anymore. That's one of the things you learn not to know.

- Howard Nemerov

Learn, One Of The Things, Am, Free Verse

I never abandoned either forms or freedom. I imagine that most of what could be called free verse is in my first book. I got through that fairly early.

- Howard Nemerov

Through, Could, Imagine, Free Verse

Mostly the thought and the verse come inseparably. In my poem Poetics, it's as close as I come to telling how I do it.

- Howard Nemerov

Thought, Telling, Mostly, Verse

I think there was a revolution in poetry, associated chiefly with Eliot and Pound; but maybe it is of the nature of revolutions or of the nature of history that their innovations should later come to look trivial or indistinguishable from technical tricks.

- Howard Nemerov

Think, I Think, Technical, Pound

When Robert Frost was alive, I was known as the other new England poet, which is to be barely known at all.

- Howard Nemerov

New, England, Which, Frost

Obvious enough that generalities work to protect the mind from the great outdoors; is it possible that this was in fact their first purpose?

- Howard Nemerov

Purpose, Mind, Fact, Outdoors

Once in awhile you have a thought, and you rhyme it.

- Howard Nemerov

Thought, Once, Awhile, Rhyme

Shakespeare tells the same stories over and over in so many guises that it takes a long time before you notice.

- Howard Nemerov

Over, Before, Stories, Notice

When modern writers gave up telling stories, they gave up the greatest thing we had.

- Howard Nemerov

Modern, Stories, Telling, Greatest Thing

The nice thing about the Bible is it doesn't give you too many facts. Two an a half lines and it tells you the whole story and that leaves you a great deal of freedom to elaborate on how it might have happened.

- Howard Nemerov

Deal, Elaborate, Half, Great Deal

The spirit world doesn't admit to communicating with me, so it's fairly even.

- Howard Nemerov

World, Admit, Spirit World, Communicating

The secrets of success are a good wife and a steady job. My wife told me.

- Howard Nemerov

Success, Wife, Good Wife, Secrets

Language is remarkable, except under the extreme constraints of mathematics and logic, it never can talk only about what it's supposed to talk about but is always spreading around.

- Howard Nemerov

Mathematics, Always, About, Extreme

A lot happens by accident in poetry.

- Howard Nemerov

Poetry, Happens, Lot, Accident

I would talk in iambic pentameter if it were easier.

- Howard Nemerov

Funny, Would, Were, Easier

It may be said that poems are in one way like icebergs: only about a third of their bulk appears above the surface of the page.

- Howard Nemerov

Poetry, Surface, May, Bulk

I've never read a political poem that's accomplished anything. Poetry makes things happen, but rarely what the poet wants.

- Howard Nemerov

Happen, Makes, Read, Rarely

Nothing in the universe can travel at the speed of light, they say, forgetful of the shadow's speed.

- Howard Nemerov

Science, Light, Shadow, They Say

I liked the kid who wrote me that he had to do a term paper on a modern poet and he was doing me because, though they say you have to read poems twice, he found he could handle mine in one try.

- Howard Nemerov

Doing, Kid, Had, They Say

I do insist on making what I hope is sense so there's always a coherent narrative or argument that the reader can follow.

- Howard Nemerov

Argument, Always, Making, Insist

Write what you know. That should leave you with a lot of free time.

- Howard Nemerov

Leave, Should, Lot, Free Time

I sometimes talk about the making of a poem within the poem.

- Howard Nemerov

Poetry, Making, Within, Poem

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