“I do not know which to prefer,
The beauty of inflections
Or the beauty of innuendoes,
The blackbird whistling
Or just after.”

—  Wallace Stevens, book Harmonium

"Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird"
Harmonium (1923)

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "I do not know which to prefer, The beauty of inflections Or the beauty of innuendoes, The blackbird whistling Or ju…" by Wallace Stevens?
Wallace Stevens photo
Wallace Stevens278
American poet 1879–1955

Related quotes

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg photo

“You believe that I run after the strange because I do not know the beautiful; no, it is because you do not know the beautiful that I seek the strange.”

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742–1799) German scientist, satirist

F160
Aphorisms (1765-1799), Notebook F (1776-1779)

Marlene Dietrich photo

“The legs aren't so beautiful, I just know what to do with them.”

Marlene Dietrich (1901–1992) German-American actress and singer

Source: Speaking with publicist Peter Rogers, circa 1969, as quoted in The Blackglama Story (1979) by Rogers, reproduced in "At Last! The story behind the legends... and the war of the minks; Marlene Dietrich" https://www.mediafire.com/view/shxgxgwhaj6fk9h by Ricki Fulman, New York Daily News (December 9, 1979), p. 179

Willie Mays photo

“I just felt baseball was a beautiful game, especially at night. The sun -- I mean, you had the lights out there and all you do is go out there, and you're out there by yourself in center field, and it's just a beautiful game. And, I just felt that it was such a beautiful game that I just wanted to play it forever, you know.”

Willie Mays (1931) Baseball player

Academy of Achievement Interview (1996)

Rajnath Singh photo

“We must uphold traditional social values, which do not permit this kind of vulgar display of beauty. I will just not allow any beauty contest to be held in this state.”

Rajnath Singh (1951) Indian politician

On banning beauty pageants, as quoted in " Home State of Miss World Bars Beauty Pageants http://articles.latimes.com/2000/dec/16/news/mn-1355" Los Angeles Times (16 December 2000)

Andy Warhol photo

“I really don't care that much about "Beauties." What I really like are Talkers. To me, good talkers are beautiful because good talk is what I love. The word itself shows why I like Talkers better than Beauties, why I tape more than I film. It's not "talkies." Talkers are doing something. Beauties are being something. Which isn't necessarily bad, it's just that I don't know what it is they're being. It's more fun to be with people who are doing things.”

Andy Warhol (1928–1987) American artist

Source: 1975, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (1975), Ch. 4: Beauty

“I prefer to believe the opposite - that there is always an indestructible beauty at the heart of darkness.”

Mary Balogh (1944) Welsh-Canadian novelist

Source: A Secret Affair

Samuel Butler (poet) photo

“Beside, 't is known he could speak Greek
As naturally as pigs squeak;
That Latin was no more difficile
Than to a blackbird 't is to whistle.”

Samuel Butler (poet) (1612–1680) poet and satirist

Canto I, line 51
Source: Hudibras, Part I (1663–1664)

Prem Rawat photo

“But there is a nature which dwells inside also. Just enjoy that also. There are beautiful hills, beautiful sceneries, and beautiful things created for you by God, but there is a scenery, beautiful mountains, beautiful air, beautiful sound, beautiful light inside also created for you.”

Prem Rawat (1957) controversial spiritual leader

Boulder, Colorado August 28, 1971 I Am a Road
1970s

Conrad Aiken photo

“The young boy whistles, hurrying down the street,
The young girl hums beneath her breath.
One goes out to beauty, and does not know it.
And one goes out to death.”

Conrad Aiken (1889–1973) American novelist and poet

The House of Dust (1916 - 1917)

Related topics