Quotation by

Emily Dickinson

If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry.

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Understanding this quote AI Analysis

Emily Dickinson means that poetry has the power to deeply affect us emotionally, creating a strong feeling that nothing else can soothe or change. This intense reaction, like a coldness that no warmth can fix, is what she recognizes as the true mark of poetry.

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He fertilizes a phrase or a line of poetry for weeks and then gives birth to it in a speech.

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Poetry asks people to have values, form opinions, care about some other part of experience besides making money and being successful on the job.
I don't know a better preparation for life than a love of poetry and a good digestion.