A ship's engine far away on the water expands the summer-night horizon. Both joy and sorrow swell in the dew's magnifying glass. Without really knowing, we divine; our life has a sister ship, following quietly another route. While the sun blazes behind the islands.
I am carried in my shadow like a violin in its black case
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a deep connection between the individual and their personal experiences, much like an instrument held within its protective case.
Tomas Transtromer's quote suggests that one carries their essence and personal history within themselves, akin to how a violin is safely kept in its case. The imagery reveals a profound relationship between one's identity and experiences, encapsulating both beauty and concealment. Just as a violin's sound is personal and intrinsic, so too is the shadow that reflects one's life journey and depth.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about personal growth, one might say, 'As Tomas Transtromer once expressed, I am carried in my shadow like a violin in its black case.'
More from Tomas Transtromer
All quotes →It's always so early in here, before the crossroads, before the irrevocable choices. Thank you for this life! Still I miss the alternatives. The sketches, all of them, want to become real.
Similar quotes
The bartenders are the regular band of Jack, and the heavenly drummer who looks up to the sky with blue eyes, with a beard, is wailing beer-caps of bottles and jamming on the cash register and everything is going to the beat - It's the beat generation, its béat, it's the beat to keep, it's the beat of the heart, it's being beat and down in the world and like oldtime lowdown.
A good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read.
There’s no “correct path” to becoming a real artist. You might think you’ll gain legitimacy by going to university, getting published, getting signed to a record label. But it’s all bullshit, and it’s all in your head. You’re an artist when you say you are. And you’re a good artist when you make somebody else experience or feel something deep or unexpected.
I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads.
There is no sound more feminine than a woman in a taffeta dress.