"I was influenced by surrealist poetry and painting as were thousands of other people, and it seems to me to have become a part of the way I write, but it's not.“


-Kenneth Koch

posted in poetry


I was influenced by surrealist poetry and painting as were thousands of other people, and it seems to me to have become a part of the way I write, but it's not.

Other Quotes You Might Like

Discover more inspiring quotes from our collection

"The subject matter of the stories on the surface... there seem to be a number of stories about travel."

-Kenneth Koch

travelView Quote
"I wonder if I ever thought of an ideal reader... I guess when I was in my 20s and in New York and maybe even in my early 30s, I would write for my wife Janice... mainly for my poet friends and my wife, who was very smart about poetry."

-Kenneth Koch

poetryView Quote
"I was excited by what my painter friends were doing, and they seemed to be interested in our poetry too, and that was a wonderful little, fizzy sort of world."

-Kenneth Koch

poetryView Quote
"I love painting and music, of course. I don't know nearly as much about them as I know about poetry. I've certainly been influenced by fiction. I was overwhelmed by War and Peace when I read it, and I didn't read it until I was in my late 20s."

-Kenneth Koch

poetryView Quote
"As for political poetry, as it's usually defined, it seems there's very little good political poetry."

-Kenneth Koch

poetryView Quote
"Certainly, it seems true enough that there's a good deal of irony in the world... I mean, if you live in a world full of politicians and advertising, there's obviously a lot of deception."

-Kenneth Koch

goodView Quote

More Quotes About poetry

Explore other inspiring quotes in this category

"I write poetry in order to live more fully."

-Judith Rodriguez

poetryView Quote
"He fertilizes a phrase or a line of poetry for weeks and then gives birth to it in a speech."

-John Colville

poetryView Quote
"Poetry uses the hub of a torque converter for a jello mold."

-Diane Glancy

poetryView Quote
"Poetry asks people to have values, form opinions, care about some other part of experience besides making money and being successful on the job."

-Toi Derricotte

poetryView Quote
"For there is a sound reasoning upon all flowers. For flowers are peculiarly the poetry of Christ."

-Christopher Smart

poetryView Quote
"I don't know a better preparation for life than a love of poetry and a good digestion."

-Zona Gale

poetryView Quote