There is no feeling, except the extremes of fear and grief, that does not find relief in music.
T. S. EliotRead
The river itself has no beginning or end. In its beginning, it is not yet the river; in the end it is no longer the river. What we call the headwaters is only a selection from among the innumerable sources which flow together to compose it. At what point in its course does the Mississippi become what the Mississippi means?
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the continuity and transformation of identity over time.
T. S. Eliot's quote illustrates the idea that identity and existence are fluid concepts, akin to a river that changes throughout its course. It suggests that definitions and meanings are not fixed but evolve, asking us to consider when something truly becomes what it is, and emphasizing the complexity of origin and end in relation to identity.
Themes
RiverIdentityTransformationPhilosophyContinuity
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on identity and change, this quote could be used to illustrate the fluid nature of self.
More from T. S. Eliot
All quotes →Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm. But the harm does not interest them.
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I am an Anglo-Catholic in religion, a classicist in literature and a royalist in politics.
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If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?
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For I have known them all already, known them all— Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.
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In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing
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