I was apprehensive. I feared every time I talked about poetry, it would be filtered through the lens of race, sex, and age. Rita Dove on age
One definition of eternity is that we are not alone on this planet, that there are those who've gone before and those who will come, and that there is a community of spirits. Rita Dove on alone
I thought, after the Pulitzer, at least nothing will surprise me quite that much in my life. And another one happened. It was quite amazing. Rita Dove on amazing
What is ironic is that Allen Ginsberg's importance was in its twilight for so many years that it took his death to bring it to the front page. He electrified an entire world! Rita Dove on death
You have to imagine it possible before you can see something. You can have the evidence right in front of you, but if you can't imagine something that has never existed before, it's impossible. Rita Dove on imagination
Without imagination we can go nowhere. And imagination is not restricted to the arts. Every scientist I have met who has been a success has had to imagine. Rita Dove on imagination
My father is a chemist, my mother was a homemaker. My parents instilled in us the feeling that learning was the most exciting thing that could happen to you, and it never ends. Rita Dove on learning
Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful. Rita Dove on poetry
I try to show what it is about language and music that enthralls, because I think those are the two elements of poetry. Rita Dove on poetry
Have you ever heard a good joke? If you've ever heard someone just right, with the right pacing, then you're already on the way to poetry. It's about using words in very precise ways and using gesture. Rita Dove on poetry
Instead of trying to come up and pontificate on what literature is, you need to talk with children, to teachers, and make sure they get poetry in the curriculum early. Rita Dove on poetry
There are distinct duties of a poet laureate. I plan a reading series at the Library of Congress and advise the librarian. The rest is how I want to promote poetry. Rita Dove on poetry
I was apprehensive. I feared every time I talked about poetry, it would be filtered through the lens of race, sex, and age. Rita Dove on poetry
I see a resurgence of interest in poetry. I am less optimistic about the prospects for the arts when it comes to federal funding. Rita Dove on poetry
The poetry that sustains me is when I feel that, for a minute, the clouds have parted and I've seen ecstasy or something. Rita Dove on poetry
Without imagination we can go nowhere. And imagination is not restricted to the arts. Every scientist I have met who has been a success has had to imagine. Rita Dove on success
If we really want to be full and generous in spirit, we have no choice but to trust at some level. Rita Dove on trust