“The writing of a poem is like a child throwing stones into a mineshaft. You compose first, then you listen for the reverberation.”
The Independent on Sunday June 24, 1990.
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James Fenton 17
poet 1949Related quotes
“or that writing a poem you can read to no one
is like dancing in the dark.”
Source: The Poems of Exile: Tristia and the Black Sea Letters
Listening Beethoven's F minor Quartet; Quoted by Walter Legge, in Walter Legge: Words and Music (1998) edited by Alan Sanders
“When people throw stones at you, you turn them into milestones.”
When quizzed about people still questioning him over his inability to make India win the matches. http://www.cricages.com/sachin-zone/when-people-throw-stones-at-you-you-turn-them-into-milestones-sachin/
“Brother, you can believe in stones, as long as you don’t throw them at me.”
Cited in: " Syrian Psychologist on the Clash of Civilizations https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/arabs/syrianpsych.html," at jewishvirtuallibrary.org, March 7, 2006.
Interview on Al Jazeera TV, 2006
Context: Brother, you can believe in stones, as long as you don’t throw them at me. You are free to worship whoever you want, but other people’s beliefs are not your concern, whether they believe that the Messiah is God, son of Mary, or that Satan is God, son of Mary. Let people have their beliefs.
“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.”