Every parent is at some time the father of the unreturned prodigal, with nothing to do but keep his house open to hope. John Ciardi More Quotes by John Ciardi More Quotes From John Ciardi The public library is the most dangerous place in town John Ciardi library dangerous towns You don't have to suffer to be a poet; adolescence is enough suffering for anyone. John Ciardi sarcastic inspirational children A university is what a college becomes when the faculty loses interest in the students. John Ciardi teenager education inspirational Fermentation and civilization are inseparable. John Ciardi alcohol beer civilization Within a single scene, it seems to be unwise to have access to the inner reflections of more than one character. The reader generally needs a single character as the means of perception, as the character to whom the events are happening, as the character with whom he is to empathize in order to have the events of the writing happen to him. John Ciardi writing character mean Tell me how much a nation knows about its own language, and I will tell you how much that nation knows about its own identity. John Ciardi nations language identity Boys are the cash of war. Whoever said: we're not free spenders- doesn't know our like. John Ciardi money boys war Patience is the art of caring slowly. John Ciardi caring patience art Nothing goes further toward a man's liberation than the act of surviving his need for character. John Ciardi survival character men Written by a sponge dipped in warm milk and sprinkled with sugar. John Ciardi sponges milk sugar I'm smiled out, talked out, quipped out, socialized so far from any being, I need the weight of mortal silences to get realized back into myself. John Ciardi tired silence needs I have one head that wants to be good, And one that wants to be bad. And always, as soon as I get up, One of my heads is sad. John Ciardi get-up be-good want It is easy enough to praise men for the courage of their conviction. I wish I could teach the sad young of this mealy generation the courage of their convictions. John Ciardi bravery courage men Fermentation equals civilization. John Ciardi fermentation beer civilization To read a poem with no thought in mind but to paraphrase it into a single, simple and usually high-minded prose statement is the destruction of poetry. John Ciardi destruction simple mind General rules have been legislated into being by past masters. John Ciardi masters writing past One night I dreamed I was locked in my Father's watch John Ciardi stars night father A carbonated wine foisted upon Americans (who else would drink it?) by winery ad agencies as a way of getting rid of inferior champagne by mixing it with inferior burgundy. John Ciardi agency wine food A savage is simply a human organism that has not received enough news from the human race. John Ciardi savages race civilization The success of the poem is determined not by how much the poet felt in writing it, but by how much the reader feels in reading it. John Ciardi poetry reading writing
