And at least in poetry you should feel free to lie. That is, not to lie, but to imagine what you want, to follow the direction of the poem.
Mark StrandRead
...In another time, What cannot be seen will define us, and we shall be prompted To say that language is error, and all things are wronged By representation. The self, we shall say, can never be Seen with a disguise, and never be seen without one.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The essence of our identity can be obscured by language and representation.
This quote reflects on the complexity of self-perception and communication. Mark Strand suggests that the true self cannot be fully captured by external expressions or language, implying that there is an inherent flaw in how we represent ourselves and the world around us. The paradox of visibility and disguise illustrates the struggle between authenticity and perception in human identity.
Themes
IdentityLanguagePerceptionSelfRepresentation
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on philosophy, this quote can be used to highlight the limitations of language in expressing true self.
More from Mark Strand
All quotes →Even this late it happens the coming of love, the coming of light. You wake and the candles are lit as if by themselves, stars gather, dreams pour into your pillows, sending up warm bouquets of air. Even this late the bones of the body shine and tomorrow’s dust flares into breath.
Mark StrandRead
No voice comes from outer space, from the folds of dust and carpets of wind to tell us that this is the way it was meant to happen, that if only we knew how long the ruins would last we would never complain.
Mark StrandRead
From the shadow of domes in the city of domes,_x000D_ A snowflake, a blizzard of one, weightless, entered your room_x000D_ And made its way to the arm of the chair where you, looking up_x000D_ From your book, saw it the moment it landed. That's all_x000D_ There was to it.
Mark StrandRead
There's a certain point, when you're writing autobiographical stuff, where you don't want to misrepresent yourself. It would be dishonest.
Mark StrandRead
It hardly seems worthwhile to point out the shortsightedness of those practitioners who would have us believe that the form of the poem is merely its shape.
Mark StrandRead
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