And what a congress of stinks!- Roots ripe as old bait, Pulpy stems, rank, silo-rich, Leaf mold, manure, lime, piled against slippery planks, Nothing would give up life: Even the dirt kept breathing a small breath.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the interconnectedness of life, emphasizing the persistence of nature even in decay.
In this quote, Theodore Roethke paints a vivid picture of decay and life coexisting, highlighting the rich, almost pungent, nature of existence. The imagery of various organic materials and the affirmation that 'nothing would give up life' invites the reader to appreciate the cycles of life and death, and how even in decay, there is vitality. This complex relationship between the refuse of life and the ongoing breath of nature suggests that all forms of life are intertwined, and that even the most seemingly lifeless elements contribute to the continuous breath of existence.
In practice
This quote could be featured in a nature documentary discussing the cycles of life and decomposition.
My Papa's Waltz: The whiskey on your breath Could make a small boy dizzy; But I hung on like death: Such waltzing was not easy. We romped until the pans Slid from the kitchen shelf; My mother's countenance Could not unfrown itself. The hand that held my wrist Was battered on one knuckle; At every step you missed My right ear scraped a buckle. You beat time on my head With a palm caked hard by dirt, Then waltzed me off to bed Still clinging to your shirt.
Art is our defense against hysteria and death.
The indignity of it!-_x000D_ _x000D_ With everything blooming above me,_x000D_ _x000D_ Lilies, pale-pink cyclamen, roses,_x000D_ _x000D_ Whole fields lovely and inviolate,-_x000D_ _x000D_ Me down in the fetor of weeds,_x000D_ _x000D_ Crawling on all fours,_x000D_ _x000D_ Alive, in a slippery grave.
By daily dying, I have come to be.
The stones were sharp, The wind came at my back; Walking along the highway, Mincing like a cat.
The self says, I am; The heart says, I am less; The spirit says, you are Nothing.
Abstain from all sinful, unwholesome actions, perform only pious wholesome ones, purify the mind; this is the teaching of enlightened ones
He who treasures his body as much as the world can care for the world.
all by all and deep by deep and more by more they dream their sleep noone and anyone earth by april wish by spirit and if by yes
Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.
A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit.
The motivation of all religious practice is similar: love, sincerity, honesty. The way of life of practically all religious persons is consistent. The teachings of tolerance, love, and compassion are the same.
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