"It means handling words and images in an interesting way. All of us use words daily, unless of course we are the silent type. Everyday we say simple things like, "Gee, look at this tan of mine." Or: "I feel sort of sad." But say you wrote something like: "Our faces were the color of pennies," and "Our souls are broken like jars." The language becomes interesting and perks up our spirits and imagination. This is what poetry means—language that surprises and keeps us on our toes."
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Novelists from the United StatesPoets from the United StatesChildren's authorsMemoirists from the United StatesHispanic Americans
Original Language: English
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On writing poetry for children in “In-depth Written Interview with Gary Soto” in Teaching Books (2007 Aug 29)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Gary_Soto
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Gary Soto
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