In a poignant and thoughtful interview, one of my favorite contemporary poets, Jane Hirshfield, says some simply profound things about why we write and read poetry.

http://www.sfgate.com/books/article/Interview-with-poet-Jane-Hirshfield-6128947.php

“I think art keeps its newness because it’s at once unforgettable and impossible to remember entirely. Art is too volatile, multiple and evaporative to hold on to. It’s more chemical reaction, one you have to re-create each time, than a substance.”

“The secret of understanding poetry is to hear poetry’s words as what they are: the full self’s most intimate speech, half waking, half dream. You listen to a poem as you might listen to someone you love who tells you their truest day.”