RR- Simile and Metaphor, Writing and Knowing, The Music of the Line

RR- Simile and Metaphor
“If such a world were possible, It would be a severely impoverished one.” Pg. 94
“But in surprising ones that reveal new connections or cast a different angle of light on an idea or experience.” Pg. 94
“Good metaphors and similes make connections that deepen, expand and energize; they stimulate the imagination.” Pg. 94
“but now it’s a simile that, if it turns up in your poem, should be sent to the Toxic Language Dump- a place we’ve invented for all those expressions that are deadly for the art.” Pg. 95
“Once you lose someone it is never exactly
The same person who comes back.” Pg. 96
RR- Writing and Knowing
“We’ve been told again and again to write about what we know, but we don’t trust that advice.” Pg. 19
“This is were we begin, by looking over our own shoulders, down our own arms, into our own hands at what we are holding, what we know.” Pg.21
“Good writing works from the simple premise: your experience is not yours alone, but in some sense a metaphor for everyone’s.” Pg. 21
“But our daily experience s, our dreams and loves and passionate convictions about the world, won’t be important to others- to potential readers of our poems- unless we’re able to transform the raw material of our experiences into language that reaches beyond the self-involvement of that person standing at the window…” Pg. 21
“If it worked for Whitman and Dickinson, for Williams and Forche and Dove, it can work for you.” Pg. 24
RR- The Music of the Line
“There are no real rules for line breaks.” Pg. 105
“At first you’ll feel very much at sea, but gradually, by experimenting and listening, and by noticing how lines works for other writers, you’ll begin to gain a sense of control.” Pg. 105
“Nothing storms out of these perfectly balanced lines.” Pg. 109
“These and other line breaks cut across the normal flow of sentences and are disorienting at times, mimicking and recreating the powerful emotions the writer wishes to convey.” Pg. 111
“The poem is an outpouring that allows the reader no opportunity to stop and consider.” Pg 111