Charles Olson Quotes

• I have had to learn the simplest things
  last. Which made for difficulties.

  Charles Olson

  Lasts, Made, Difficulty

  Charles Olson (1993). “Selected Poems of Charles Olson”, p.101, Univ of California Press

  46 Copy quote

• Whatever you have to say, leave The roots on, let them Dangle And the dirt Just to make clear Where they come from.

  Charles Olson

  Roots, Dirt, Clear

  Charles Olson (1997). “The Collected Poems of Charles Olson: Excluding the Maximus Poems”, p.106, Univ of California Press

  16 Copy quote

• What does not change is the will to change

  Charles Olson

  Change, Doe

  Charles Olson, Robert Creeley (1980). “Charles Olson & Robert Creeley: The Complete Correspondence”, p.96, David R. Godine Publisher

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• Knowledge is the harvest of attention

  Charles Olson

  Attention, Harvest

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• All that matters is that the thing be the thing of the thing.

  Charles Olson

  Matter

  8 Copy quote

• We all want what's been suddenly disallowed.

  Charles Olson

  Desire, Want

  7 Copy quote

• of rhythm is image / of image is knowing / of knowing there is / a construct

  Charles Olson

  Knowing, Rhythm, Constructs

  Charles Olson (1997). “Collected Prose”, p.124, Univ of California Press

  9 Copy quote

• Forgive me if I sleep until I wake up.

  Charles Olson

  Sleep, Forgive Me, Forgiving

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• I'm trying to climb up both walls at once.

  Charles Olson

  Wall, Hiking, Trying

  7 Copy quote

• The poem, for me, is simply the first sound realized in the modality of being.

  Charles Olson

  Poetry, Sound, Firsts

  Charles Olson (1979). “Muthologos: the collected lectures & interviews”

  7 Copy quote

• A poem is energy transferred from where the poet got it (he will have some several causations), by way of the poem itself to, all the way over to, the reader.

  Charles Olson

  Way, Energy, Poet

  Charles Olson (1966). “Selected Writings of Charles Olson”, p.16, New Directions Publishing

  7 Copy quote

• I'm one of the cliches that has grown up.

  Charles Olson

  Cliche

  12 Copy quote

• The flowers are ravined
  by bees, the fruit blossoms
  
  are thrown to the ground, the wind
  the rain forces everything.

  Charles Olson

  Rain, Flower, Wind

  Charles Olson (1993). “Selected Poems of Charles Olson”, p.84, Univ of California Press

  4 Copy quote

• Atlantis will rise again.

  Charles Olson

  Future, Atlantis

  80 Copy quote

• An American is a complex of occasions, themselves a geometry of spatial nature.

  Charles Olson

  Spatial, Geometry, Complexes

  Charles Olson (1993). “Selected Poems of Charles Olson”, p.148, Univ of California Press

  10 Copy quote

• When will government cease being a nuisance to everybody?

  Charles Olson

  Government, Nuisance, Politics

  Charles Olson (1979). “Muthologos: the collected lectures & interviews”

  8 Copy quote

• Were all moving, moving, moving. Isnt it nice?

  Charles Olson

  Nice, Moving

  4 Copy quote

• This morning of the small snow I count the blessings, the leak in the faucet which makes of the sink time, the drop of the water on water.

  Charles Olson

  Morning, Blessing, Snow

  Charles Olson (1966). “Selected Writings of Charles Olson”, p.231, New Directions Publishing

  8 Copy quote

• There are no hierarchies, no infinite, no such many as mass, there are only/ eyes in all heads,/ to be looked out of.

  Charles Olson

  Eye, Hierarchy, Infinite

  Charles Olson (1966). “Selected Writings of Charles Olson”, p.4, New Directions Publishing

  5 Copy quote

• what pudor pejorocracy affronts
  how awe, night-rest and neighborhood can rot
  what breeds where dirtiness is law
  what crawls
  below

  Charles Olson

  Night, Law, Shame

  Charles Olson (1993). “Selected Poems of Charles Olson”, p.11, Univ of California Press

  4 Copy quote

• I hope you're representing the devil's advocate.

  Charles Olson

  Devil, Advocating, Devil's Advocate

  53 Copy quote

• You can read everybody. It's not even interesting to tell the truth because to some extent it's false.

  Charles Olson

  Interesting, Telling The Truth, Truth Is

  Charles Olson (1979). “Muthologos: the collected lectures & interviews”

  4 Copy quote

• I defer to all these other American poets who, for some reason, I both envy and admire.

  Charles Olson

  Envy, Poet, Reason

  7 Copy quote

• what can we do
  when even the public conveyances
  sing?
  how can we go anywhere,
  even cross-town
  how get out of anywhere

  Charles Olson

  Singing, Towns, Crosses

  Charles Olson (1966). “Selected Writings of Charles Olson”, p.230, New Directions Publishing

  4 Copy quote

• ONE PERCEPTION MUST IMMEDIATELY AND DIRECTLY LEAD TO A FURTHER PERCEPTION

  Charles Olson

  Perception

  Charles Olson (1966). “Selected Writings of Charles Olson”, p.17, New Directions Publishing

  4 Copy quote

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