God how I hate new countries: They are older than the old, more sophisticated, much more conceited, only young in a certain puerile vanity more like senility than anything.
D. H. LawrenceRead
Oh literature, oh the glorious Art, how it preys upon the marrow in our bones. It scoops the stuffing out of us, and chucks us aside. Alas!
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the profound impact of literature on the human experience, suggesting it can deeply affect and transform us.
D. H. Lawrence's quote captures the powerful and sometimes brutal effects of literature on the human psyche. It suggests that literature, as an art form, reaches into our very essence, stripping away our superficial layers and revealing our innermost selves, often leaving us feeling exposed and vulnerable. This intensity of experience is both glorious and painful, highlighting literature's ability to profoundly shape our thoughts and emotions.
Themes
LiteratureArtEmotionHuman ExperienceTransformation
In practice
Example use cases
During a book club discussion, to emphasize the powerful impact of a novel's themes.
More from D. H. Lawrence
All quotes βA young man is afraid of his demon and puts his hand over the demon's mouth sometimes and speaks for him. And the things the young man says are very rarely poetry.
D. H. LawrenceRead
And besides, look at elder flowers and bluebells-they are a sign that pure creation takes place - even the butterfly. But humanity never gets beyond the caterpillar stage -it rots in the chrysalis, it never will have wings.It is anti-creation, like monkeys and baboons.
D. H. LawrenceRead
The Christian fear of the pagan outlook has damaged the whole consciousness of man.
D. H. LawrenceRead
The cosmos is a vast living body, of which we are still parts. The sun is a great heart whose tremors run through our smallest veins. The moon is a great nerve center from which we quiver forever. Who knows the power that Saturn has over us, or Venus? But it is a vital power, rippling exquisitely through us all the time.
D. H. LawrenceRead
... he preferred his own madness, to the regular sanity. He rejoiced in his own madness, he was free. He did not want that old sanity of the world, which was become so repulsive. He rejoiced in the new-found world of his madness. It was so fresh and delicate and so satisfying.
D. H. LawrenceRead
Similar quotes
When talented people write badly, it's generally for one of two reasons: Either they're blinded by an idea they feel compelled to prove of they're driven by an emotion they must express. When talented people write well, it is generally for this reason: They're moved by a desire to touch the audience.
Robert MckeeRead
God knows I've had productions where there were actors in my plays who were making more money per week than I was.
Tony KushnerRead
With poets, the choice of words is invariably more telling than the story line; that's why the best of them dread the thought of their biographies being written.
Joseph BrodskyRead
When things get tough, this is what you should do: Make good art. I'm serious. Husband runs off with a politician -- make good art. Leg crushed and then eaten by a mutated boa constrictor -- make good art. IRS on your trail -- make good art. Cat exploded -- make good art. Someone on the Internet thinks what you're doing is stupid or evil or it's all been done before -- make good art.
Neil GaimanRead
The art of healing is like an unroofed temple, uncovered at the top and cracked at the foundation.
Benjamin RushRead
We must be vigilant in sharing our stories and our truths as queer parents of color at every chance we get if we hope to see art imitate real life.
Karamo BrownRead