There is no feeling, except the extremes of fear and grief, that does not find relief in music.
T. S. EliotRead
There is no absolute point of view from which real and ideal can be finally separated and labelled.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that reality and ideals are intertwined, and one cannot be fully understood without the other.
T. S. Eliot's quote emphasizes the complexity of separating real experiences from our ideals or aspirations. It highlights that perceptions of reality are influenced by our beliefs and ideals, suggesting that a definitive viewpoint to wholly distinguish the two may not exist. This reflection urges us to consider the subjective nature of reality, where what we deem 'real' is often intertwined with our ideals.
Themes
RealityIdealsPerceptionPhilosophySubjectivity
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on philosophy, one could use this quote to discuss the nature of perception.
More from T. S. Eliot
All quotes βHalf of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm. But the harm does not interest them.
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I am an Anglo-Catholic in religion, a classicist in literature and a royalist in politics.
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If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?
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For I have known them all already, known them allβ Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.
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In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing
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In every tyrant's heart there springs in the end this poison, that he cannot trust a friend.
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Here we find the moat of thieves. And just as a lizard, with a quick, slick slither, Flicks across the highway from hedge to hedge, Fleeter than a flash, in the battering dog-day weather, A fiery little monster, livid, in a rage, Black as any peppercorn, came and made a dart At the guts of the others, and leaping to engage One of the pair, it pierced him at the part Through which we first draw food; then loosed its grip And fell before him, outstretched and apart.
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