"So, poetry becomes a means for useful dialogue between people who are not only unknown, but mute to each other. It produces a dialogue among people that guards all of us against manipulation by our so-called leaders.“


-June Jordan

posted in poetry


So, poetry becomes a means for useful dialogue between people who are not only unknown, but mute to each other. It produces a dialogue among people that guards all of us against manipulation by our so-called leaders.

Other Quotes You Might Like

Discover more inspiring quotes from our collection

"In the process of telling the truth about what you feel or what you see, each of us has to get in touch with himself or herself in a really deep, serious way."

-June Jordan

truthView Quote
"Poetry is a political act because it involves telling the truth."

-June Jordan

truthView Quote
"To tell the truth is to become beautiful, to begin to love yourself, value yourself. And that's political, in its most profound way."

-June Jordan

truthView Quote
"I wrote those poems for myself, as a way of being a soldier here in this country. I didn't know the poems would travel. I didn't go to Lebanon until two years ago, but people told me that many Arabs had memorized these poems and translated them into Arabic."

-June Jordan

travelView Quote
"I am a feminist, and what that means to me is much the same as the meaning of the fact that I am Black: it means that I must undertake to love myself and to respect myself as though my very life depends upon self-love and self-respect."

-June Jordan

respectView Quote
"The first function of poetry is to tell the truth, to learn how to do that, to find out what you really feel and what you really think."

-June Jordan

poetryView 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