Words are what sticks to the real. We use them to push the real, to drag the real into the poem. They are what we hold on with, nothing else. They are as valuable in themselves as rope with nothing to be tied to.

Jack Spicer
About This Quote

Words are what sticks to the real. We use them to push the real, to drag the real into the poem. They are what we hold on with, nothing else. They are as valuable in themselves as rope with nothing to be tied to.

The idea is that words can be thought of as a type of rope where we attach things to them and use them to our advantage. When we keep our words and actions tied together, we can trust and feel safe and secure knowing that we will never go breaking apart on us.

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