"…Poetry is not a stepping-stone to fortune and fame, or Hollywood for that matter — where, if the poet where to seek that, he or she would trade their voice for that of Hollywood, or fortune and fame, and lose their use of poetry. Poetry does not compromise itself for such mundane material."

Jesús Papoleto Meléndez Social Activism See all quotes by Jesús Papoleto Meléndez →

React to this quote

More by Jesús Papoleto Meléndez

“Poetry belongs everywhere, of course — but especially in the classroom…”

“…All of my poems, to me, have always had an intonation to them, and I think that’s really part and parcel to the nature of writing poetry anyway. My poetry is different from the typical iambic pentameter. It’s not linear because it cascades and goes down the page like an escalator.”

“…There is no such a thing as an old poet. People are younger and older, chronologically, because of math of calendars, but spirits are young and old simultaneously. Poetry as a professional, life-long pursuit is one that offers wisdom with age, and that’s to be respected…”

Resonant Thoughts

"When I was young and walked along Breiðafjörður I never would have thought that such a wide variety of people inhabited the world. Here were many folk from the numerous city-states and counties of Ita…"

— Halldór Laxness

Literature1902–1998

#mind

"The great gain would be freedom of thought. Women, more than men, are bound by tradition and authority. What the father, the brother, the doctor, and the minister have said has been received undoubtin…"

— Maria Mitchell

Science1818–1889

#freedom

"If we would all ov us take kare ov our own souls, and let our nabors alone, thare would be less time lost, and more souls saved."

— Josh Billings

Music1818–1885

#religion

"There's a sense that the drug war has proven its failure. Five or six years ago, people would say, "Well, we haven't really tried it." It's hard to say that with credibility any more. People tend to g…"

— Ethan Nadelmann

Law1957

#nature