Authors
Jack Gilbert
Jack Gilbert (1925–2012) was an American poet known for spare, intense lyric work that examines love, loss, and memory. His poems, published in several acclaimed collections, emphasize emotional clarity and resilience in the face of suffering, themes reflected in the quoted line.
Quotes: 2
Quotes by Jack Gilbert
The Courage to Stubbornly Accept Our Gladness
Jack Gilbert’s imperative to "risk delight" reframes joy as an act of bravery rather than a soft indulgence. In a world that often rewards vigilance, suspicion, and doomscrolling, he asks us to step toward the vulnerable...
Created on: 8/10/2025
Choosing Joy: A Stubborn, Necessary Risk
At the outset, Jack Gilbert’s imperative to ‘risk delight’ sets a moral frame. In his poem A Brief for the Defense, collected in Refusing Heaven (2005), he argues for gladness ‘in the ruthless furnace of this world.’ Rat...
Created on: 8/10/2025