poetryI could no more define poetry than a terrier can define a rat. Alfred Edward Housman That’s the way it is with poetry: When it is incomprehensible it seems profound, and when you understand it, it is only ridiculous. Poetry is a matter of life, not just a matter of language. Poetry is like making a joke. If you get one word wrong at the end of a joke, you’ve lost the whole thing. Who writes poetry imbibes honey from the poisoned lips of life. Some say they see poetry in my paintings I see only science. I didn’t want to deal in poetry. I got rid of that after a few months. Music has a poetry of its own, and that poetry is called melody. I wrote The Green Eye of the Little Yellow God in five hours, but I had it all planned out. It isn’t poetry and it does not pretend to be, but it does what it sets out to do. I’m looking for a guy who makes you want to dance and write poetry all day long.
That’s the way it is with poetry: When it is incomprehensible it seems profound, and when you understand it, it is only ridiculous.
Poetry is like making a joke. If you get one word wrong at the end of a joke, you’ve lost the whole thing.
I wrote The Green Eye of the Little Yellow God in five hours, but I had it all planned out. It isn’t poetry and it does not pretend to be, but it does what it sets out to do.