Louis Dudek Quotes

Canada, Poet
February 6, 1918 – March, 23, 2001.

Louis Dudek, OC (February 6, 1918 – March 23, 2001) was a Canadian poet, academic, and publisher known for his role in defining Modernism in poetry, and for his literary criticism. He was the author of over two dozen books. "As a critic, teacher and theoretician, Dudek influenced the teaching of Canadian poetry in most schools and universities" in Canada."

Also known as Academic, Publisher

The long poem cannot be a digressive, expansive, boring exposition. It is really made of very sharp, Imagistic, quintessential poetic elements.

Louis Dudek
- Long
The best live among us in disguise.

Louis Dudek
- Live

The residue of religion in my work appears as a modified transcendentalism, and the positivist scientific side of my thought appears as concreteness and realism. The effort to reconcile the two is at the core of all my poetry.

Louis Dudek
- Work
- Poetry
- Effort
In a poem, the words happen; they just come. I let them. Otherwise, I wouldn't write. To interfere with what is happening is to distort the poem. Just a very small degree of intelligence and supervision is necessary. Very tactful. Any revision later that violates the text as it came, that begins rewriting the words, is fake.

Louis Dudek
- Words
- Small
- Fake
What is forgiven is usually well remembered.

Louis Dudek
The philistine provides the best definition of art. Anything that makes him rage is first class.

Louis Dudek
- Art
There are two kinds of people; those who are always well and those who are always sick. Most of the evils of the world come from the first sort and most of the achievement from the second.

Louis Dudek
- People
- World
- Sick
Art is anything people do with distinction.

Louis Dudek
- People
- Art