If I could sum up my poetry in a few well-chosen words, the result might be a poem. Several years ago, when I was asked to say something on this topic, I came up with the notion that for me the making of poems is both a commemoration (a moment captured) and an evocation (the archaeologist manqué side of me digging into something buried and bringing it to light). But I also said that I find the processes that bring poems into being mysterious, and I wouldn't really wish to know them; the thread that links the first unwilled impulse to the object I acknowledge as the completed poem is a tenuous one, easily broken. If I knew the answers to these riddles, I would write more poems, and better ones. "Simple Poem" is as close as I can get to a credo': Simple PoemI shall make it simple so you understand. Making it simple will make it clear for me. When you have read it, take me by the hand As children do, loving simplicity. This is the simple poem I have made. Tell me you understand. But when you do Don't ask me in return if I have said All that I meant, or whether it is true. . Anthony Thwaite
About This Quote

I will give you a simple poem. It means that I will come up with the poem and then explain to you what it means and how I came up with it. You can understand this poem as well as I can understand it so you can know whether or not to take me as a poet. The first line is the title, "Simple Poem." In this poem, I will try to explain why I wrote this poem as well as what the poem means.

The second line says, "I shall make it simple so you understand." As soon as you read this sentence, the answer should be obvious. It just means that I want you to understand my poem. The last line says, "When you have read it, take me by the hand as children do, loving simplicity." This means that if you believe my words, then love me no matter what.

This is called taking me by the hand. You will probably ask something like, "What does 'loving simplicity' mean?" In other words, don't try to turn the poem into a complicated thing.

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