When I start writing a poem, I don't think about models or about what anybody else in the world has done.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- When beginning a poem, I ignore existing models and others’ work, focusing on my own voice.
- In plain terms
- Start writing without copying others.
- What can you take from it?
- Cultivate originality by silencing external influences.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How can you balance influence and originality?
- What strategies help you stay present while writing?
Another view
Awareness of tradition can also enrich a poem.
More from Gwendolyn Brooks
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