This quote suggests that poetry is the most natural and profound way to express deep memories and desires. It's the purest form for communicating our past and our deepest yearnings, offering an authentic voice to complex emotions and forgotten histories.
Quote by Marjorie Agosín: “Poetry is the mother tongue of memory and longing.”
Poetry is the mother tongue of memory and longing.
Insight
Historical Context
As the world grappled with collective memory and human rights atrocities of the past century, Agosín emphasized the unique role of poetry in bearing witness, preserving memory, and giving voice to the voiceless.
About the Author
Chilean-American poet, human rights activist, and professor whose work bears witness to the disappeared under Pinochet's Chile and to the lived experience of Jewish Latin American women. She has received the United Nations Leadership Award for Human Rights and the Gabriela Mistral Medal of Honor.
View all quotes by Marjorie Agosín