"All poets' wives have
Rotten lives
Their husbands look at
Them like knives."
-Delmore Schwartz, American Poet
I've always wondered: do truly great poets (or writers or what have you) have lives full of inspirational people and events, or are they simply skilled at turning the humdrum of everyday existence into something extraordinary? I don't mean that in a manipulative, melodramatic way, but in an elevated-perception kind of way, where poets are gifted (cursed?) with experiencing their world through the extremes that most people comfortable with shades of gray can't seem to fathom. Maybe a few poets are adept at stirring up trouble/inspiration, and maybe a few more are just lucky and trouble/inspiration comes to them, but I don't really think that's the case for the majority.
I want to (and in some sense, must) believe that there is a gift. Some are born with it and some may learn it, but all poets have it. It's more than finding something quirky and lacing it with pretty words; it's uncovering other realms entirely, partially for the benefit of those who cannot see them but with help.
