Life, friends, is boring. We must not say so. After all, the sky flashes, the great sea yearns, we ourselves flash and yearn
Interpretation
Life can often feel monotonous, but we should acknowledge and appreciate its beauty and depth.
In this quote, John Berryman suggests that while life may sometimes feel dull and unexciting, it is essential to recognize the moments of passion and yearning that punctuate our existence. The imagery of the 'flashing' sky and the 'yearning' sea serves to remind us that despite life's mundane aspects, there are profound experiences and emotions that enrich our journey.
In practice
This quote could be used in a speech about finding joy in everyday moments.
There is no such thing as Freedom (though it is the most important condition of human life, after Humility, -which does not exist either). There is only Slavery (walls around one) and absence-of-Slavery (ability to walk in any direction, or to remain still).
We must travel in the direction of our fear.
Life, friends, is boring. We must not say so.
The artist is extremely lucky who is presented with the worst possible ordeal which will not actually kill him. At that point, he's in business.
One must be ruthless with one's own writing or someone else will be.
Life, friends, is boring. We must not say so. After all, the sky flashes, the great sea yearns, we ourselves flash and yearn, and moreover my mother told me as a boy (repeatedly) 'Ever to confess you're bored means you have no inner Resources.' I conclude now I have no inner resources, because I am heavy bored.
I'll die young, but it's like kissing God.
Life did not present its sunny side to thee.
We'll bury our mothers and fathers - shuttling our children off for sleepovers, jumping on red-eyes, telling eachother stories that hurt to hear, about gasping, agonal breaths, hospice nurses, scars and bruises and scabs, and how skin papers shortly after a person passes. We will nod in agreement that it is as much an honor to witness a person leave this world as it is to watch a person come into it.
Where I grew up - I grew up on the north side of Akron, lived in the projects. So those scared and lonely nights - that's every night. You hear a lot of police sirens, you hear a lot of gunfire. Things that you don't want your kids to hear growing up.
What good is sitting alone in your room? Come hear the music play; Life is a cabaret, old chum, Come to the cabaret.
All of us have moments in our childhood where we come alive for the first time. And we go back to those moments and think, This is when I became myself.
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