HOOP

Poetry is an animal
that prowls around the house at night,
that doesn’t jump through hoops.



Hannie Rouweler



Also see:
Dutch poetry in Indonesian language, translated by Siti Wahyuningsih and Albert Hagenaars

Critical reviews on modern Dutch poetry


www.alberthagenaars.nl

LAZARUS

It's unfortunate Lazarus was no poet. He would have embarrassed his former criticasters tremendously.


Godfried Bomans



Also see:
Dutch poetry in Indonesian language, translated by Siti Wahyuningsih and Albert Hagenaars

Critical reviews on modern Dutch poetry


www.alberthagenaars.nl

WATER (2)

There are no songs that can last, or be appreciated, if written by drinkers of water.


Horace




The poet's word is the entire world. Not the tangible earth, not the fluid water, but the earth inside the earth and the water that makes the water fluid.


Paul Snoek



Also see:
Dutch poetry in Indonesian language, translated by Siti Wahyuningsih and Albert Hagenaars

Critical reviews on modern Dutch poetry


www.alberthagenaars.nl

SOUNDBOARD

It's true, language is a fragile instrument, which explains why so few poems, robbed from the strenghtening soundboard of a similar sense of time, are able to push through the centuries. But it can also be enormously strong; the first task for the poet is to combine the power of feeling with the word.

J. Elema



www.alberthagenaars.nl

COLOUR

Poetry is like colour. Poetry is in everything.

Hendrik Willemyns



www.alberthagenaars.nl

FAKE

No matter how fast fake poetry is, the poet’s truth will catch up with it.

Arjen Fortuin



www.alberthagenaars.nl

DESPAIR (2)

Theatre is poetry which rises up from the book and it is so human one would like to talk about it, cry and weep out of despair.

Federico García Lorca





Poetry always is an act of despair, although it is the desperate act of happiness. Poetry is also the most unusual of the usual things, as long as it respects them. If one only would have more respect for both poetry and the usual things, poetry on the contrary would then be the most common of the uncommon things...

Bertus Aafjes





Also see:
Frozen Poets - Sculptures, graves and other traces of poets

Dutch poetry in Indonesian language, translated by Siti Wahyuningsih and Albert Hagenaars

Critical reviews on modern Dutch poetry


www.alberthagenaars.nl