Quotes By Charles Olson

You don't help people in your poems. I've been trying to help people all my life - that's my trouble.

This country has been unconscious, and it's got to awake. That's my belief.

I hope you're representing the devil's advocate.

This morning of the small snow I count the blessings, the leak in the faucet which makes of the sink time, the drop of the water on water.

The poem, for me, is simply the first sound realized in the modality of being.

You can do anything, literally, right? That's one of the exciting possibilities of the present.

I am happy to have some friends here in the kitchen.

Fact is based upon vulgar matter.

The heroes of the present will retreat to the imitation they are anyhow.

We're all moving, moving, moving. Isn't it nice?

There is a grace of life which is still yours, my dear Europe.

We all want what's been suddenly disallowed.

I defer to all these other American poets who, for some reason, I both envy and admire.

Forgive me if I sleep until I wake up.

Atlantis will rise again.

When will government cease being a nuisance to everybody?

I'm one of the cliches that has grown up.

I don't live for poetry. I live far more than anybody else does.

I'm sorry, but I was born with a towel on my head.

I remember way back when I was young, 10 years ago.

I'm trying to climb up both walls at once.

I sound like Homer. I mean Winslow Homer.

I was playing catch with the European audience.

You can read everybody. It's not even interesting to tell the truth because to some extent it's false.