I'd never really been content with just churning out these slim volumes every three or four years. I've always tried to think of poetry as an active ingredient in the language rather than just something that appears between the covers of thin books. Simon Armitage More Quotes by Simon Armitage More Quotes From Simon Armitage As far as I can tell, there are two kinds of poets: those who want to tell stories and sing songs, and those who want to work out the chemical equation for language and pass on their experiments as poetry. Simon Armitage song two art The ordinary can be absolutely miraculous. Simon Armitage miraculous ordinary You’re beautiful because when you were born, undiscovered planets lined up to peep over the rim of your cradle and lay gifts of gravity and light at your miniature feet Simon Armitage light feet beautiful It’s never going to be very mainstream. One reason is that poetry requires concentration, both on the part of the writer and the reader. But it’s kind of unkillable, poetry. It’s our most ancient artform and I think it’s more relevant today than ever, because it’s one person saying what they really believe. Simon Armitage today believe thinking If you were going to choose a way of making your way in this world and a place to start from, you might not choose poetry and you might not choose Huddersfield. Simon Armitage might way world We still need a voice that thinks before it speaks. Simon Armitage voice needs thinking Where does the hand become the wrist? Simon Armitage weight doe hands Killing time in the precinct, I find a copy of one of my early volumes in a dump-bin on the pavement outside the charity shop. The price is 10p. It is a signed copy. Under the signature, in my own handwriting, are the words, "To mum and dad". Simon Armitage handwriting signatures dad People who read poetry, for example, like the feel, the heft and the smell of a book. Simon Armitage smell book people And wonder, dread and war have lingered in that land where loss and love in turn have held the upper hand. Simon Armitage loss war hands I once stood in the middle of New York city watching my name go round the electronic zipper sign in Times Square and I felt pretty thrilled, but not quite as thrilled as I felt when I saw my name in the Examiner for the first time. Simon Armitage zippers squares new-york In all the poems I've written I've not really engaged in politics, and when I've found myself moving in that direction I've always stopped myself. Simon Armitage engaged found moving Somebody will be able to crack ebook files in the same way that people cracked music files a decade ago. An author could have worked for three years on his book, have someone buy it for their Kindle for £6.99 and then see it shared with everyone in the world for free. Simon Armitage book people years I have to make myself write, sometimes. In the space between poems, you somehow forget how to do it, where to begin. It was good to be task - based for a while. I just came downstairs each day, picked the one I was going to do that day, and wrote. Simon Armitage tasks space writing The Huddersfield that I like best is a large town with a big heart and an open mind. Simon Armitage towns mind heart This misfortune you find is of your own manufacture. Simon Armitage misfortunes karma I wondered if people might not have had enough of Simon Armitage and wondered whether I hadn't had enough of Simon Armitage. Simon Armitage had-enough might people I intend 'Dämmerung' to be an ironic meditation on the financial rewards of poetry and a tragicomic lament on the passing of time and the changes in literary taste. The other poets mentioned are my poetic cohort from the U.K. I wrote the piece in situ, as it were, while making a television documentary about World War I in Germany. Simon Armitage ironic meditation war This misfortune you find is of your own manufacture. Keep hold of what you have, it will harm no other, for hatred comes home to the hand that chose it. Simon Armitage hatred home hands Occasionally it's been a long and bumpy road - one I'm still travelling - but I've always felt like my home town has been solidly behind me and I'm both grateful and proud. Simon Armitage me grateful home long
