Verbatim

"Some little irritation gets hold of me, an idea or a phrase about an experience. Once I have a vague idea about the subject or situation, I start listening for what kind of music the poem should make—dissonant, sweet, jazzy, syncopated, waltz-like. I would love to be a able to write a poem the way Thelonious Monk plays the piano or Jack White puts a song together. Musicians have a direct access to emotion that writers can only envy."

David Yezzi talks about his writing method.