Wallace Stevens

The House Was Quiet and The World Was Calm

The house was quiet and the world was calm.
The reader became the book; and summer night

Was like the conscious being of the book.
The house was quiet and the world was calm.

The words were spoken as if there was no book,
Except that the reader leaned above the page,

Wanted to lean, wanted much most to be
The scholar to whom his book is true, to whom

The summer night is like a perfection of thought.
The house was quiet because it had to be.

The quiet was part of the meaning, part of the mind:
The access of perfection to the page.

And the world was calm. The truth in a calm world,
In which there is no other meaning, itself

Is calm, itself is summer and night, itself
Is the reader leaning late and reading there.

poem by Wallace StevensReport problemRelated quotes
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This House Is Not For Sale

Tell 'em that the house is not for sale
We're still livin' here, how come nobody can tell
They're takin' all the furniture, movin' our things
Come on little honey, put your head on my knee
Tell 'em that the house is not for sale
And calm down, calm down, calm down
Calm down, calm down, calm down
Do you remember when we even bought this thing?
I danced you across the wooden floor and you signed the lease
What happened in the car that night?
What happened in the car that night?
Tell 'em that the house is not for sale
And calm down, calm down, calm down
Calm down, calm down, calm down
Calm down
Tell 'em that the house is not for sale
We could grab a couple sheets, yeah, give 'em quite a scare
I remember lyin' on the bedroom floor
You were holding me, little honey, kissin' my soul
Tell 'em that the house is not for sale
And calm down, calm down, calm down
Calm down, calm down, calm down
Calm down
Calm down

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Calm Is Who I Am Now

CALM IS WHO I AM NOW

Calm is who I am now
Calm and quiet-
I have done
What I could do-
The rest is repetition-

Slowly slowly
Time is taking me away-
How long I do not know-
How much pain I do not know-
Calm is who I am now -

Quiet quiet
Before the fears return again
And the anxiety over what I have not done-

Calm is who I am now
In these moments at this hour
Four in the morning
A small part of the long day to come.

poem by Shalom FreedmanReport problemRelated quotes
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I Am Calm In The Pain

I AM CALM IN THE PAIN


I am calm in the pain,
And calm in the rejection,
And calm through the insult,
And calm through the anger,
And calm calm calm,
Though I feel so deeply
How I have failed
I am calm
Very calm
So calm
Until suddenly
In the middle of the morning prayer
I begin to cry to God
Cry with a terrible crying
And then when the prayer done
Calm calm calm calm calm.

poem by Shalom FreedmanReport problemRelated quotes
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I love the word 'calm

I love the word ‘calm’
‘The sea lies calm tonight’
‘Ne’er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!
‘And calm of mind, all passion spent’
I love the word ‘calm’
And the feeling of peace,
And the joy in quiet,
And the sense of all things well,
It gives.

poem by Shalom FreedmanReport problemRelated quotes
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That Summer Afternoon

That summer was not easy on us
But one afternoon the clouds came
And the shadows gave way to quiet light
As we walked to the park half regretting
Having cursed the heat
We were tired of summer, and afraid of winter
Lying by me, you read a book, occasionally
Turning your head to see what I was doing
But I was reading too
And I would bend over to your side
And kiss you lightly on the head
It was a quiet summer afternoon, and
We had all life can offer
The rest being vanity and excess
I flipped a page and turned to you
To kiss you on the head
It was the last of that hot summer
But winter would be warm

poem by Cesar NascimentoReport problemRelated quotes
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The Nature Of The Storm

Glare at the cloud
Guarded by fog and shroud
And see the storm will be here
Soon it will be quite near
Brace yourself my dear
And yet before
We have to be torn at the core
Torn to and fro, there will be a calm before a calm
A time where there shall be no qualm
And yet the calm is terrifying
The silence before war is maddening
It is not the nor consoling calm of peace
But a maddening roar of quiet
I fear the calm more than the storm because sometimes 'Not Knowing'
That's the worst

poem by David KnoxReport problemRelated quotes
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The Chornicles of a Dark Heart Part 16 The open book's monologue

Red what is it to you black the color of death? maybe maybe not? anyone here play video games? FOR CHAOS? ring any bells help spread the taint more quickly? what might an open book write
what would a open book draw
what would an open book think
open books are predictable
so predict what the picture means
why is black black? why is red O infused? what is the meaning only you know maybe only me...

(added years later)

Maybe I'm the book, and maybe you're the reader
but who is you? is it not everyone
since I'm open, for all to point at laugh at, out of malice or for fun
because they know my thoughts, they know i love her? !
what did i do?
i never said i love you! ! !
how can they know?
how did i reap what i did now sow? !
The worst part
about being an open book,
is an open book can't close itself, can't have a heart
anyone can know all from just one look
there seems to be something wrong with being too open and honest
but it's too late a book can't close itself
can't move by its own accord to a shelf
an open book can never rest
so now I'm the book, so since im there just read
just read.... and watch my heart, my purpose, my soul, my life, me
watch.... watch them bleed

poem by David KnoxReport problemRelated quotes
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I Will Calm Down!

say as you may,
I DON'T CARE! ! ! ! ! !
are you in my shoes,
I DON'T THINK SO! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
do you know what i been through?
NOT REALLY! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
how you going to tell me to calm down?
i have everything planned! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
you came and took everything! ! ! ! !
my plans for my futher,
my trust i had for you,
everything i thought i had going right.
EVERYTHING and now i'm surposed to calm down,
DID YOU LOSE EVERYTHING? ! ! ! !
and you still want me to calm down?
if it wasn't for you i wouldn't be in this mess! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
what did i ever do to deserve this?
nothing! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! and yet i have to pay the price.
don't you think you could of been clear,
than we wouldn't be in this mess! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
so i will calm down, when i get what you promised.
that all i wanted.
for you to stay to your word.
but, HELL NO! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
now you see why i'm pissed,
i got a good enough reason to be.
at you and at the world.
no wonder i don't put my trust into anybody.
yet, i feel like i'm getting pushed away,
do anybody seem to care?
not if it don't concerns them! ! ! !
this world is already MESSED up.
no wonder the people in it are TOO! ! ! ! ! !
I WILL CALM DOWN! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
i will take deep breath........
but, will you still be the same?
cuz if you are,
i can't have this conversation with you.
i need it with somebody who will listen.
i need it with somebody who give a damn! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
i'm tiried of feeling like i'm not important! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
when i know DAMN sure i am! ! ! ! !
so if you got a problem with it.
i don't care! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
i stopped caring way before you did.

poem by Mona MartinezReport problemRelated quotes
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0176 Letter to a Well-known Contemporary Poet

I wanted to write to you about your poems,
that is, about something I couldn't quite put my finger on
so I didn't write in case it sounded inconsequential
and it's silly to write to a poet who handles words so expertly,
inconsequentially..

Inconsequential. That's it. I appreciate that you want to stress
life's inconsequentiality - this happens, that happens, but
we're none the wiser - that's a modern concern, I appreciate,
no neat wrapping life up with a brisk end-rhyme...

but how can I put this tactfully, inconsequentiality
or is it tangentiality
can seem to the reader eager to extract meaning
that is, the poet's meaning, as near as can be...
inconsequentiality can seem...obscure...
for this very reason, since it's difficult
to share the same inconsequentiality
if you see what I mean

and this unintentional obscurity
can sometimes seem
of course I know you wouldn't
but let's say to an uninformed superficial reader -
like pretension?

I hope you don't mind my mentioning this
it's only because I do admire your writing so much
and I know that the prizes and awards you've won
proves that no-one could possibly accuse you of pretension
it's just that I thought I should say how it seems
to a very ordinary reader. I hope you will read this
in the spirit it's meant. And I do look forward
very much to reading your next book
now the library stocks them.

poem by Michael ShepherdReport problemRelated quotes
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The Best Book In The World

the best book
in the world
the only true book
is the world itself
the Book of Nature


the best book is the silence
the wordless-ness in
the clouds and the sky
and the rivers and the oceans
and the lands
and the grass that breaks through the concrete;
and in the deserts and the volcanoes
and the stars
and the moon
and the creatures of the earth
and in all fellow beings
and the vastness beyond
and the vastness within


the best book
the only true book
(every other book is distortion)
is the world itself
the Book of Nature:
read it

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Black Is The Dark Of Night

BLACK IS THE DARK OF THE NIGHT

Black is the dark of night
Deep is the quiet and calm –

Waking before the world does
Brings a special peace –

I write these lines
And begin the day
When others still sleeping -

All the world is mine at peace
And when the morning light comes
I will be astonished by the beauty
Of God’s world.

poem by Shalom FreedmanReport problemRelated quotes
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So Quiet In Here

Foghorns blowing in the night
Salt sea air in the morning breeze
Driving cars all along the coastline
This must be what its all about
Oh this must be what its all about
This must be what paradise is like
So quiet in here, so peaceful in here
So quiet in here, so peaceful in here
The warm look of radiance on your face
And your heart beating close to mine
And the evening fading in the candle glow
This must be what its all about
Oh this must be what its all about
This must be what paradise is like
So quiet in here. so peaceful in here
So quiet in here, yeah, so peaceful in here
All my struggling in the world
And so many dreams that dont come true
Step back, put it all away
It dont matter, it dont matter anymore
Oh this must be what paradise is like
This must be what paradise is like
Its so quiet in here, so peaceful in here
Its so quiet in here, so peaceful in here
A glass of wine with some friends
Talking into the wee hours of the dawn
Sit back and relax your mind
This must be, this must be, what its all about
This must be what paradise is like
Oh this must be what paradise is like
So quiet in here, so peaceful in here
So quiet in here, so peaceful in here
Big ships out in the night
And were floating across the waves
Sailing for some other shore
Where we can be what we wanna be
Oh this must be what paradise is like
This must be what paradise is like
Baby its so quiet in here, so peaceful in here
So quiet in here, so peaceful in here
So quiet in here, so peaceful in here
So quiet in here, you can hear, its so quiet

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There Is No Pain In Me Now

THERE IS NO PAIN IN ME NOW

There is no pain in me now-
I am quiet and calm
The pains have gone.

I sit and wait and rest-
I am calm.

But I want something else,
And I do not know what it is.

Calm and old,
But not sad and not in pain,
I want something else-
But do not know what it is.

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I Walk Out Into The Night

I WALK OUT INTO THE NIGHT

I walk out into the night
Away from the noise-
Away from everything from everyone-
I hear the silence-
I am calm-
I walk and walk and walk
Into the night-
And into my own silence and calm-
And in this quiet,
In this peace,
I hear these words
And write them down.

poem by Shalom FreedmanReport problemRelated quotes
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When The Calm Comes Back Again

WHEN THE CALM COMES BACK AGAIN

When the calm comes back again
After days of anxiety and stress-
When things at last seem going the right way
After a long time of disorder-
When one is simply quiet and happy inside again
And looking forward to whatever is to come-
When the calm comes back again
How blessed and happy and easy life is-
And what a tremendous relief also.

poem by Shalom FreedmanReport problemRelated quotes
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Open Book's Monologue (revisited the years later portion of part 16)

Maybe I'm the book, and maybe you're the reader
but who is you? is it not everyone
since I'm open, for all to point at laugh at, out of malice or for fun
because they know my thoughts, they know i love her? !
what did i do?
i never said i love you! ! !
how can they know?
how did i reap what i did now sow? !
The worst part
about being an open book,
is an open book can't close itself, can't have a heart
anyone can know all from just one look
there seems to be something wrong with being too open and honest
but it's too late a book can't close itself
can't move by its own accord to a shelf
an open book can never rest
so now I'm the book, so since im there just read
just read.... and watch my heart, my purpose, my soul, my life, me
watch.... watch them bleed

poem by David KnoxReport problemRelated quotes
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The Sea Is Very Calm This Morning

the sea is very calm this morning
the talisay leaves are not disturbed by the breeze
my mama is sitting on a bench
combing her long hair
saying nothing
under a tree
beside our little nipa hut
facing the horizon

on the other side is a big house
whose iron gate is painted red
a big man comes out
rushing as though
he is chasing someone
holding a stick on his hand
shouting at the child
playing with my small brother
inside the yard
of our house

the child of that man is frightened
and runs as fast as he can
back to their house
his father catches him
beating his legs
with the stick on his
right hand

i can still hear the cry of that frightened child
from the very beating of his own papa

what a mess!

i could have told you once again about the peace
and the calm and the quiet of the sea on a morning like this
but it is not true anymore

poem by Ric S. BastasaReport problemRelated quotes
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Little Wise Pink Book.

Oh! The wise little pink book,
Which contain the wise words and pictures,
Where my love lies,
And ma heart lay its head.
How shall I forget about you?
You the mother of ma heart,
Oh! My heart soothers.
Which soothes every pimple that causes agony in ma heart.

You’re my photos album,
when I want to see ma boom,
You contain pictures of ma heart,
From head to toe,
I love you so much, little pink book.

You’re my dictionary,
Whenever I need any love word’s meaning,
Ma love encyclopedia,
To calm my psycho-phobia.
I love you little pink book,
You have been the source of my comfort,
When ma heart was in trouble,
I can’t forget about you,
Little wise pink book.

You are everything,
You are the promise we make,
A phone-family we set-up,
Oh! Little pink book,
You are the CPA of our love.
I love you little pink book.

My eyes shall not let down,
Neither will my heart fail you,
For your words pass through my eyes down to ma heart surpassing my brain,
I love you, little pink book.
My life is yours, little pink book.

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Bomb-Scare

An image of a book burgeons tonight,
Today my fright overtook me in light.
Some day, some way, I gather the force
To do goodness, I can not subtract the remorse
I feel inside, deep inside, just lower than the abdomen
And then the swearing happened to awaken.
My misery is with the bomb,
Offered to us by the calm.
My book deserves reading as well,
Let us work on the world with a carousel.

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Usually, when people get to the end of a chapter, they close the book and go to sleep. I deliberately write a book so when the reader gets to the end of the chapter, he or she must turn one more page.

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