Rita Dove Quotes

A collection of quotes by Rita Dove.

Rita Dove is an acclaimed American poet and writer, born on August 28, 1952. She was raised in Akron, Ohio, and exhibited a strong passion for literature from an early age. Dove attended Miami University in Ohio before pursuing her graduate studies at the University of Iowa, where she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree.

Dove's poetry reflects her diverse cultural heritage and has garnered widespread recognition for its richness, lyrical quality, and exploration of personal and historical themes. In 1987, she published her breakthrough collection, "Thomas and Beulah," a poignant exploration of her grandparents' lives that won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry.

Beyond her poetry, Dove has made significant contributions to the literary world as an essayist, editor, and playwright. She served as the Poet Laureate of the United States from 1993 to 1995, becoming the first African American and youngest individual to hold this esteemed position at the time. Additionally, she has received numerous accolades, including the National Medal of Arts and the NAACP Image Award for Literature.

Rita Dove's body of work continues to inspire and captivate readers around the globe, showcasing her profound talent and artistry. Through her poetry and writings, she has been able to bridge cultural divides, explore the complexities of identity, and shed light on the human experience.

I see a resurgence of interest in poetry. I am less optimist

I see a resurgence of interest in poetry. I am less optimistic about the prospects for the arts when it comes to federal funding.

Have you ever heard a good joke? If you've ever heard someon

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.

Poetry

I was apprehensive. I feared every time I talked about poetr

I was apprehensive. I feared every time I talked about poetry, it would be filtered through the lens of race, sex, and age.

Age

Without imagination we can go nowhere. And imagination is no

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.

Imagination

One definition of eternity is that we are not alone on this

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.

Alone

Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful.

Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful.

Poetry

My father is a chemist, my mother was a homemaker. My parent

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.

Learning

You have to imagine it possible before you can see something

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.

Imagination

Instead of trying to come up and pontificate on what literat

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.

Poetry

There are distinct duties of a poet laureate. I plan a readi

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.

Poetry

I thought, after the Pulitzer, at least nothing will surpris

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.

Amazing

I try to show what it is about language and music that enthr

I try to show what it is about language and music that enthralls, because I think those are the two elements of poetry.

Poetry

The poetry that sustains me is when I feel that, for a minut

The poetry that sustains me is when I feel that, for a minute, the clouds have parted and I've seen ecstasy or something.

Poetry

If we really want to be full and generous in spirit, we have

If we really want to be full and generous in spirit, we have no choice but to trust at some level.

Trust

What is ironic is that Allen Ginsberg's importance was in it

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!

Death