And at least in poetry you should feel free to lie. That is, not to lie, but to imagine what you want, to follow the direction of the poem.
Mark StrandRead
From the shadow of domes in the city of domes,_x000D_ A snowflake, a blizzard of one, weightless, entered your room_x000D_ And made its way to the arm of the chair where you, looking up_x000D_ From your book, saw it the moment it landed. That's all_x000D_ There was to it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the beauty of a simple moment in life, highlighting the delicate and ephemeral nature of a snowflake.
In this quote, Mark Strand portrays a serene and intimate moment where a single snowflake enters a room, capturing the attention of a reader immersed in a book. This imagery evokes a sense of wonder and appreciation for the small, fleeting experiences that can unexpectedly interrupt our daily lives, prompting us to pause and engage with the world around us. It emphasizes the grace and beauty that can be found in simplicity and the importance of being present in the moment.
Themes
SnowflakeBeautyMomentLifeSimplicity
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used during a poetry reading to illustrate the beauty of small moments.
More from Mark Strand
All quotes →...In another time, What cannot be seen will define us, and we shall be prompted To say that language is error, and all things are wronged By representation. The self, we shall say, can never be Seen with a disguise, and never be seen without one.
Mark StrandRead
Even this late it happens the coming of love, the coming of light. You wake and the candles are lit as if by themselves, stars gather, dreams pour into your pillows, sending up warm bouquets of air. Even this late the bones of the body shine and tomorrow’s dust flares into breath.
Mark StrandRead
No voice comes from outer space, from the folds of dust and carpets of wind to tell us that this is the way it was meant to happen, that if only we knew how long the ruins would last we would never complain.
Mark StrandRead
There's a certain point, when you're writing autobiographical stuff, where you don't want to misrepresent yourself. It would be dishonest.
Mark StrandRead
It hardly seems worthwhile to point out the shortsightedness of those practitioners who would have us believe that the form of the poem is merely its shape.
Mark StrandRead
Similar quotes
A critic should be taught to criticise a work of art without making any reference to the personality of the author.
Oscar WildeRead
If what you want to paint is the emotive mood in all its strength... then you must not sit and stare at everything and depict it exactly as one sees it.
Edvard MunchRead
Oh! snatched away in beauty's bloom,_x000D_ _x000D_ On thee shall press no ponderous tomb;_x000D_ _x000D_ But on thy turf shall roses rear_x000D_ _x000D_ Their leaves, the earliest of the year.
Lord ByronRead
The arts especially address the idea of aesthetic experience. An aesthetic experience is one in which your senses are operating at their peak; when you’re present in the current moment; when you’re resonating with the excitement of this thing that you’re experiencing; when you are fully alive.
Ken RobinsonRead
Poetry is a kind of ingenious nonsense.
Isaac NewtonRead
I write for fanboy moments. I write to give myself strength. I write to be the characters that I am not. I write to explore all the things I'm afraid of. I write to do all the things the viewers want too. So the intensity of the fan response is enormously gratifying. It means I hit a nerve.
Joss WhedonRead