Poetry Poem by Marianne Moore

Poetry

Rating: 3.3


I, too, dislike it: there are things that are important beyond all
this fiddle.
Reading it, however, with a perfect contempt for it, one
discovers in
it after all, a place for the genuine.
Hands that can grasp, eyes
that can dilate, hair that can rise
if it must, these things are important not because a

high-sounding interpretation can be put upon them but because
they are
useful. When they become so derivative as to become
unintelligible,
the same thing may be said for all of us, that we
do not admire what
we cannot understand: the bat
holding on upside down or in quest of something to

eat, elephants pushing, a wild horse taking a roll, a tireless wolf
under
a tree, the immovable critic twitching his skin like a horse that
feels a
flea, the base-
ball fan, the statistician--
nor is it valid
to discriminate against 'business documents and

school-books'; all these phenomena are important. One must
make a distinction
however: when dragged into prominence by half poets, the
result is not poetry,
nor till the poets among us can be
'literalists of
the imagination'--above
insolence and triviality and can present

for inspection, 'imaginary gardens with real toads in them', shall
we have
it. In the meantime, if you demand on the one hand,
the raw material of poetry in
all its rawness and
that which is on the other hand
genuine, you are interested in poetry.

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Simone Carson 24 July 2006

This poem is extremely moving to those who see poetry as a way of life; something ethereal and genuine, one of the same

33 29 Reply
Elizabeth Douglas 08 June 2008

I think this poem is saying realize that you will not always understand the poet or the stanzas but that there is a true sparkle behind both of them.

32 29 Reply
Paulos Ioannou 18 February 2016

Very touching, indeed

5 6 Reply
Carroll Eastman 07 May 2016

Wow. Yes, I am interested in poetry. Thank you 42316Marianne Moore.

7 4 Reply
Rajnish Manga 30 June 2017

Poets and their writing nicely defined according to their real value and merits. Thanks, Marianne. we.... do not admire what.... we cannot understand: by half poets, the.... result is not poetry, nor till the poets among us can be 'literalists of.... the imagination'.... above insolence and triviality

4 2 Reply
Harindhar Reddy 27 March 2020

Hmm poetry is its best when some like you write. Awesome

0 1 Reply
Damion Hamilton 26 February 2018

pretty much sums up what poetry is. Salute

3 1 Reply
Susan Williams 26 February 2018

Could be titled How To Know You Are A Poet or An Intelligent Reader of Poems. She seems to have a long-ranging imagination and a never-ending paint box of words.

1 1 Reply
Edward Kofi Louis 26 February 2018

Quest of something! ! ! Thanks for sharing this poem with us.

1 1 Reply
Subhas Chandra Chakra 26 February 2018

if you demand on the one hand, the raw material of poetry in all its rawness and that which is on the other hand genuine, you are interested in poetry. Lovely poem shared. Thanks poet.

2 1 Reply
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Marianne Moore

Marianne Moore

Kirkwood, Missouri
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