Charles Olson

I'm sorry, but I was born with a towel on my head.

We're all moving, moving, moving. Isn't it nice?

When will government cease being a nuisance to everybody?

There is a grace of life which is still yours, my dear Europe.

You don't help people in your poems. I've been trying to help people all my life - that's my trouble.

Forgive me if I sleep until I wake up.

The heroes of the present will retreat to the imitation they are anyhow.

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

I don't live for poetry. I live far more than anybody else does.

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

Fact is based upon vulgar matter.

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

You can do anything, literally, right? That's one of the exciting possibilities of the present.

I remember way back when I was young, 10 years ago.

I am happy to have some friends here in the kitchen.

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

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

I was playing catch with the European audience.

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.

I sound like Homer. I mean Winslow Homer.

Atlantis will rise again.

We all want what's been suddenly disallowed.

This country has been unconscious, and it's got to awake. That's my belief.

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