I can't tell you where a poem comes from, what it is, or what it is for: nor can any other man. The reason I can't tell you is that the purpose of a poem is to go past telling, to be recognised by burning.
A. R. AmmonsRead
Even if you walk exactly the same route each time - as with a sonnet - the events along the route cannot be imagined to be the same from day to day, as the poet's health, sight, his anticipations, moods, fears, thoughts cannot be the same.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life is constantly changing, and even familiar experiences are never identical.
This quote by A. R. Ammons reflects on the nature of experience and perception, suggesting that even when we encounter the same situations or paths repeatedly, our internal states—such as our thoughts, emotions, and physical well-being—alter how we perceive each moment. It emphasizes the idea that every experience is unique, shaped by our ever-changing circumstances and feelings.
Themes
ChangePerceptionExperienceLifeEmotions
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about embracing change, this quote can illustrate how our perspectives shift over time.
More from A. R. Ammons
All quotes →If the greatest god is the stillness all the motions add up to, then we must ineluctably be included.
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For though we often need to be restored to the small, concrete, limited, and certain, we as often need to be reminded of the large, vague, unlimited, unknown
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Definition, rationality, and structure are ways of seeing, but they become prisons when they blank out other ways of seeing.
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