Some poetic words of wisdom from Mr Allen Ginsberg
You all know by now — I’m a huge Allen Ginsberg fangirl. Recently, I found a really lovely edition of his collection Cosmopolitan Greetings in a secondhand bookstore, and had to share some snippets with you. Some of his poems are so inspiring, as life lessons for anyone, not just writers. Here goes…
“I write poetry because I suffer confusion not knowing what other people think.
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I write poetry to make an accurate picture of my own mind.
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I write poetry because this morning I woke up trembling in fear, what could I say in China?.
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I write poetry because I want to be alone, but want to talk to people.
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I write poetry wearing animal shoes.” — snippets from Improvisation in Beijing
“Observe what’s vivid.
Notice what you notice.
Catch yourself thinking.
Vividness is self-selecting.
If we don’t show anyone, we’re free to write anything.
Remember the future.
Advise only yourself.
Don’t drink yourself to death.” — from Cosmopolitan Greetings
“Before you fall in bed blood sugar high blood pressure lower, lower, your lips grow cold.
Sooner or later let go what you loved hated or shrugged off, you walk in the park
You look at the sky, sit on a pillow, count up the stars in your head, get up and eat.” — from Big Eats
“Rainy night on Union Square, full moon. Want more poems? Wait til I’m dead.” — from American Sentences
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Tags: advice for young writers, allen ginsberg, poetic wisdom, publishing, resources for young writers, young poets
July 21st, 2009 at 10:23 am
those are some very inspiring quotes indeed! i may have to look into Mr. Ginsberg, since you like him so much (and he has such words of wisdom).
July 21st, 2009 at 9:08 pm
I was lucky enough to recieve the collected poems Of Ginsberg for my birthday a couple of weeks ago, a hefty volume indeed, but fantastic as well.
This from Death And Fame. poems 1993-1997 (Final voume of poetry)
“To see Void vast infinite look out the window into the blue sky.”
(from American Sentences 1995-1997)
Written just days before his death. Startling really. One of his modern haikus.
July 21st, 2009 at 10:07 pm
thank you for posting these. I especially hearken to the list from ‘Cosmopolitan Greetings’
I shall endeavor to get a copy.
July 21st, 2009 at 10:29 pm
oh that man! he is wise x
July 26th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Oh, how cool is he… you can really feel the Buddhist influences in these little snippets…
:)
July 28th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
fantastic. great choices.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Impossibly beneficent and want upon the message of lifetime
April 26th, 2011 at 8:42 am
[...] time at all at this blog, you will know I am a super-massive Allen Ginsberg fan. I first discovered the great man’s work in my third year as an undergrad English Lit student (I know, it took me long enough), and within [...]