Shakespeare tells the same stories over and over in so many guises that it takes a long time before you notice. Howard Nemerov More Quotes by Howard Nemerov More Quotes From Howard Nemerov Nothing in the universe can travel at the speed of light, they say, forgetful of the shadow's speed. Howard Nemerov journey science travel A teacher is a person who never says anything once. Howard Nemerov say-anything teacher retirement This Constitutional Republic called America is an historic aberration. Any honest student of history will note that the prevailing socio-economic system is feudalism, where a tiny minority control the vast majority of wealth, power, and resources. In doing so, they have absolute control over the 99% of the population. Power equals control. Howard Nemerov population majority america Write what you know. That should leave you with a lot of free time. Howard Nemerov should knows writing The only way out is the way through, just as you cannot escape death except by dying. Being unable to write, you must examine in writing this being unable, which becomes for the present -henceforth?- the subject to which you are condemned. Howard Nemerov dying writing way A lot happens by accident in poetry. Howard Nemerov accidents happens Both poet and painter want to reach the silence behind the language, the silence within the language. Both painter and poet want their work to shine not only in daylight but (by whatever illusionist magic) from within. Howard Nemerov silence shining science It may be said that poems are in one way like icebergs: only about a third of their bulk appears above the surface of the page. Howard Nemerov pages literature may I think there's one thing which distinguishes our art - we don't consider. We don't think. We write a little verse because it comes to us. Howard Nemerov writing art thinking The secrets of success are a good wife and a steady job. My wife told me. Howard Nemerov wife secret jobs [T]eaching has been for me an education (Lord knows what it has been for my students). Howard Nemerov students lord knows When you write it doesn't occur to you that somebody could think different from what you do. Howard Nemerov different writing thinking The nice thing about the Bible is it doesn't give you too many facts. Two an a half lines and it tells you the whole story and that leaves you a great deal of freedom to elaborate on how it might have happened. Howard Nemerov nice giving two The spirit world doesn't admit to communicating with me, so it's fairly even. Howard Nemerov literature spirit world I liked the kid who wrote me that he had to do a term paper on a modern poet and he was doing me because, though they say you have to read poems twice, he found he could handle mine in one try. Howard Nemerov term-paper trying kids Writing is like the relationship with your bowels. First you can, then you can't. Finally, you must. Only then should you reach for the paper. Howard Nemerov paper writing firsts When Robert Frost was alive, I was known as the other new England poet, which is to be barely known at all. Howard Nemerov icy alive literature I have a plot, but not much happens. Howard Nemerov plot happens I do insist on making what I hope is sense so there's always a coherent narrative or argument that the reader can follow. Howard Nemerov argument narrative literature When modern writers gave up telling stories, they gave up the greatest thing we had. Howard Nemerov modern literature stories