Quotes by John Ciardi

A savage is simply a human organism that has not received enough news from the human race.

(Conviction) is possible only in a world more primitive than ours can be perceived to be. A man can achieve a simply gnomic conviction only by ignoring the radical describers of his environment or by hating them as convinced men have hated say Darwin and Freud as agents of some devil.

It is easy enough to praise men for the courage of their convictions. I wish I could teach the sad young of this mealy generation the courage of their confusions.

There is nothing wrong with sobriety in moderation.

A university is what a college becomes when the faculty loses interest in students.

Gentility is what is left over from rich ancestors after the money is gone.

Modern art is what happens when painters stop looking at girls and persuade themselves they have a better idea.

Every parent is at some time the father of the unreturned prodigal with nothing to do but keep his house open to hope.

Boys are the cash of war. Whoever said: were not free spenders- doesnt know our like.

You have to fall in love with hanging around words.

If a man means his writing seriously he must mean to write well. But how can he write well until he learns to see what he has written badly. His progress toward good writing and his recognition of bad writing are bound to unfold at something like the same rate.

Every parent is at some time the father of the unreturned prodigal, with nothing to do but keep his house open to hope.

Love is the word used to label the sexual excitement of the young, the habituation of the middle-aged, and the mutual dependence of the old.

Intelligence recognizes what has happened. Genius recognizes what will happen.

You dont have to suffer to be a poet adolescence is enough suffering for anyone.

Poetry lies its way to the truth.