Quotes About Empathy

As she laughed I was aware of becoming involved in her laughter and being part of it, until her teeth were only accidental stars with a talent for squad-drill.

Poetry is telling something to someone.

Only poetry can measure the distance between ourselves and the Other.

Poetry is one of the most full ways of discovering what it feels like to be a human being in this particular moment, in this particular set of concerns. It's all about discovery.

When we let ourselves respond to poetry, to music, to pictures, we are clearing a space where new stories can root, in effect we are clearing a space for new stories about ourselves.

Nothing says you care for me better than offering to torture my enemies." He grinned. "No sense doing things halfhearted. And to think, some girls have to endure listening to poetry.

You put yourself in the receptive frame of mind with which we approach music or poetry, which you can measure the difference on a neurological scanner.

What's the function of poetry? It's to express general truths, to connect with the reader and make him think: 'Wow, I've experienced that, but you've expressed it so much better.'

I sing, I clean house, I write poetry. I cry. And I tell everyone I can, "I Believe in YOU."

Consider the difference between the first and third person in poetry [...] It's like the difference between looking at a person and looking through their eyes.

I do not think [poetry] is more, or less, necessary than food, shelter, health, education, decent working conditions. It is as necessary.

Black Poetry is not for Black People...it is for everybody

when I am feelinglowall i have to do iswatch my catsand mycouragereturns

Take the blinders from your visiontake the padding from your earsand confess you've heard me crying and admit you've seen my tears.

To have great poets there must be great audiences too.

If everyone only gave a fraction of the compassion their hearts are capable of giving... how much suffering could we alleviate in this world?

We look at your eyes. The eyes carry the wounds. The eyes know damage. Damaged people recognize other damaged people, and we let you in. We are kindred. - Broken Places

The attention was flattering. For the first five minutes. Now I know how poems feel.

I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.

Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him.

Skip the religion and politics, head straight to the compassion. Everything else is a distraction.

The trouble with socialists is that they let their bleeding hearts go to their bloody heads.

While there is a lower class, I am in it, while there is a criminal element, I am of it, and while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.

The only way we'll get freedom for ourselves is to identify ourselves with every oppressed people in the world. We are blood brothers to the people of Brazil, Venezuela, Haiti, Cuba -- yes Cuba too.