American poet (1945- )
When I started writing, I found that I composed poems as a rhythm of images. I think the style was a little too hermetically sealed from the reader. From there I gravitated toward narrative. I found that narrative allowed me to be more expansive, more inclusive, and was much easier to write a poem that told a story. But narrative didn’t always allow me to use my imagination as freely as I was prone to do sometimes, so I found myself writing prose poems with an intensity I hadn’t experienced before.
WALTER BARGEN
interview, Cavalier Literary Couture
When you're spontaneous, there's always the opportunity that you'll surprise yourself and discover something new.
WALTER BARGEN
Riverfront Times, September 29, 2009
In this country, land of the 24-hour news channels, it’s easy to "suffer" from news exhaustion, but for me there’s something in me that cries out when I hear about the suffering of others in these ultimately meaningless conflicts. How can I declare them meaningless when people are dying?
WALTER BARGEN
"An Interview with Walter Bargen", BkMk Press
Imagination is a double-edged sword. You get cut both ways—bleed happily, bleed nostalgically.
WALTER BARGEN
"An Interview with Walter Bargen", BkMk Press
Basically poetry is not only something enjoyable, but a reservoir for wisdom, and a mirror that people can look into and see something in their own life.
WALTER BARGEN
Riverfront Times, September 29, 2009