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Authors:
Elizabeth Bishop Quotes

Elizabeth Bishop quotes

American Poet February 8, 1911 – October 6, 1979

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Quotes

Dreams were the worst. Of course I dreamed of foodand love, but they were pleasant rather than otherwise. But then I'd dream of thingslike slitting a baby's throat, mistaking itfor a baby goat. I'd havenightmares of other islandsstretching away from mine, infinitiesof islands, islands spawning islands, like frogs' eggs turning into polliwogsof islands, knowing that I had to liveon each and every one, eventually, for ages, registering their flora, their fauna, their geography. Elizabeth Bishop
--Even losing you (a joking voice, a gesture/ I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident/ the art of losing's not too hard to master/ though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster. Elizabeth Bishop
Elizabeth Bishop quote: "I leave a lovely opalescent ribbon: I know this."
I leave a lovely opalescent ribbon: I know this. Elizabeth Bishop
Elizabeth Bishop quote: "Love's the sonstood stammering elocutionwhile the poor ship in..."
Love's the sonstood stammering elocutionwhile the poor ship in flames went down Elizabeth Bishop
Think of the long trip home. Should we have stayed at home and thought of here? Where should we be today? Is it right to be watching strangers in a play in this strangest of theatres? What childishness is it that while there's a breath of life in our bodies, we are determined to rush to see the sun the other way around? The tiniest green hummingbird in the world? To stare at some inexplicable old stonework, inexplicable and impenetrable, at any view, instantly seen and always, always... Elizabeth Bishop
All my life I have lived and behaved very much like the sandpiper - just running down the edges of different countries and continents, 'looking for something'. Elizabeth Bishop
What childishness is it that while there's breath of life in our bodies, we are determined to rush to see the sun the other way around? Elizabeth Bishop
[Marianne Moore] once remarked, after a visit to her brother and his family, that the state of being married and having children had one enormous advantage: "One never has to worry about whether one is doing the right thing or not. There isn't time. One is always having to go to the market or drive the children somewhere. There isn't time to wonder 'Is this right or isn't it? Elizabeth Bishop
I am in need of music that would flow. Over my fretful, feeling finger-tips, Over my bitter-tainted, trembling lips, With melody, deep, clear, and liquid-slow. Oh, for the healing swaying, old and low, Of some song sung to rest the tired dead, A song to fall like water on my head, And over quivering limbs, dream flushed to glow! There is a magic made by melody: A spell of rest, and quiet breath, and cool. Heart, that sinks through fading colors deep. To the subaqueous stillness of the sea,... Elizabeth Bishop
Why shouldn't we, so generally addicted to the gigantic, at last have some small works of art, some short poems, short pieces of music [...], some intimate, low-voiced, and delicate things in our mostly huge and roaring, glaring world? Elizabeth Bishop
But he sleeps on the top of his mastwith his eyes closed tight. The gull inquired into his dream, which was, "I must not fall. The spangled sea below wants me to fall. It is hard as diamonds; it wants to destroy us all. Elizabeth Bishop
Each night he must be carried through artificial tunnels and dream recurrent dreams. Just as the ties recur beneath his train, these underlie his rushing brain. He does not dare look out the window, for the third rail, the unbroken draught of poison, runs there beside him. He regards it as a disease he has inherited the susceptibility to. He has to keep his hands in his pockets, as others must wear mufflers. Elizabeth Bishop
If after I read a poem the world looks like that poem for 24 hours or so I'm sure it's a good one—and the same goes for paintings. Elizabeth Bishop
Close, close all nightthe lovers keep.They turn togetherin their sleep,Close as two pagesin a bookthat read each otherin the dark.Each knows allthe other knows,learned by heartfrom head to toes. Elizabeth Bishop
Time to plant tears, says the almanac. The grandmother sings to the marvelous stoveand the child draws another inscrutable house. Elizabeth Bishop

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