Paul Engle Quotes

I can still remember the feel in my hand of that most wonderful American coin ever minted, a nickel with a buffalo on one side and the head of an Indian on the other. That nickel was a daily proof of our country's past. Bring it back!

Paul Engle

• Past
• Feel
• Proof

Poetry is ordinary language raised to the Nth power. Poetry is boned with ideas, nerved and blooded with emotions, all held together by the delicate, tough skin of words.

Paul Engle

• Words
• Ideas
• Poetry

I wanted to write poetry almost a little more than I wanted to eat.

Paul Engle

• Want
• Write
• Eat

The way to praise a poet is to write a poem.

Paul Engle

• Write
• Poet
• Praise

All poetry is an ordered voice, one which tries to tell you about a vision in the un-visionary language of farm, city, and love.

Paul Engle

• Poetry
• Vision
• Voice

When your first marriage goes into tragedy, you become very battle-scarred... I even thought of suicide. Luckily, I had known some happy marriages.

Paul Engle

• Tragedy
• Known
• Marriages

Human life is too difficult for people.

Paul Engle

• Life
• Human
• Difficult

Without vision you don't see, and without practicality the bills don't get paid.

Paul Engle

• Vision
• See
• Practicality

The years rolled their brutal course down the hill of time. Still poor, my clothes still smelling of the horse barn, still writing those doubtful poems where too much emotion clashed with too many words.

Paul Engle

• Time
• Words
• Emotion

I began to write poetry in high school, and would ride miles over sandy roads in the fine hills around Cedar Rapids, repeating the lines over and over until I had them right, making some of the rhythm of the horse help.

Paul Engle

• School
• Poetry
• Write