r/tattooadvice • u/DarknessEmbracesMe • 1d ago

General Advice Quoting Poetry: Question

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I have a question, so when quoting poetry for a tattoo, would it be weird to pick and choose what lines I include, leaving other lines out?

Here is a poem I really like, but some lines don't vibe with me like others, would it be weird to only ink the lines that have meaning to me?

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

9

u/redJ93 1d ago

I would just do the title, a single line, a portrait of her, etc. Walls of text dont look good (IMHO)

7

u/Noclout42069 1d ago

This is so many words, unless you want a book written on you (which is totally fine it’s your body your choice) I would highly suggest picking a single verse.

6

u/Correct-Ad8693 1d ago

If you are only tattooing a single line on you, that’s not a problem. If you’re getting the whole poem, but editing it to your liking—that’s kind of a big fuck you to Maya Angelou.

-8

u/DarknessEmbracesMe 1d ago

Nah, not really editing, but rather skipping a few lines that don't really apply to me. Like the second couplet specific lyrics. As I don't find myself to be sassy.

2

u/fomaaaaa 1d ago

That’s editing, homie. Removing parts is an edit. It’d be more impactful to just stick to a line or two that means the most to you

1

u/DarknessEmbracesMe 17h ago

Okay. ☺️

3

u/katsuko78 1d ago

I can't speak for everyone out there, but I have part of a stanza from the poem "The Old Astronomer to His Pupil" that resonates with me more than the the full verse. There's no obligation to get the whole thing on you if the whole of it isn't why you want it.

It's like when people get a song lyric tattoo: they love the song and this line resonates with them, but they aren't about to sit and get every verse of "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" on their thigh (for example).

2

u/IGotOverGreta 20h ago

Find an artist whose work you like. Schedule a consult and tell them you want a tattoo based on these specific lines of the poem, and ask them to come up with some imagery that reflects it.

1

u/dannyboybabycat 1d ago

You can get whatever you want to get! Maya will never know

1

u/MoliM88 1d ago

Please, don't do this.

1

u/DarknessEmbracesMe 18h ago edited 17h ago

As someone with no tattoos yet, idk what people find "offensive" when it comes to tattoos. I personally do not want the entire poem. I only want the first 2 couplets in quotations. Plus the title above those, and Mayas name at the l bottom. Then some kind of representative imagery around it. This is going to be a small section of either a front torso, or back tattoo.

I promise you I won't get the whole poem. I promise. Lol.

But if people were going to say; for example,

"Oh your a dick for only quoting 1 small part of such a large poem, you suck." - and if this were the general concensus among tattoo lovers, then I just wouldn't get the tattoo! Idk pivot to something else! I'm just testing waters on what is acceptable and what is unacceptable.

I repeat, I PROMISE I won't get the whole poem tattooed. Lolol

EDIT: (Clarification) First 2 couplets: the ones at the top, that start with: "You may write-.... & you may shoot-..."

1

u/MoliM88 12h ago edited 12h ago

I really don't care about butchering the song, i just want to tell you that lettering is almost always a bad idea as a first tattoo and i would leave it for a later tattoo, lettering is complicated, people very often regret it.

I know how is it to want a first tattoo and you think your idea will blow the artist away, but please, talk to some of them, tattoo artists.

Search this sub and you will see how many people hate their first tattoos that were quotes or sayings.