Poetry is a kind of lying,
necessarily. To profit the poet
or beauty. But also in
that truth may be told only so.

Those who, admirably, refuse
to falsify (as those who will not
risk pretensions) are excluded
from saying even so much.

Degas said he didn't paint
what he saw, but what
would enable them to see
the thing he had.

Added: May 22 2003 | Viewed: 4767 times | Comments (2)

Poet: Jack Gilbert
Poem: Poetry Is A Kind Of Lying
Volume: Monolithos
Year: Published/Written in 1962
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