Losing too is still ours; and even forgetting still has a shape in the kingdom of transformation. When something's let go of, it circles; and though we are rarely the center of the circle, it draws around us its unbroken, marvelous curve.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on loss and transformation, suggesting that while we may not hold everything, what we lose still holds significance in the larger scheme of life.
Rainer Maria Rilke's quote conveys the idea that even in loss and forgetfulness, there exists a process of transformation. It suggests that letting go can lead to a broader understanding and appreciation of life's cycles, where lost experiences and memories continue to influence our existence, drawing connections and creating meaning even if we are not directly at the center of these transformations. The 'unbroken, marvelous curve' indicates the beauty and continuity of life's experiences, highlighting that everything has its place in a greater whole.
In practice
In a discussion about coping with grief, this quote can provide comfort and a different perspective on loss.
Spring has again returned. _x000D_ _x000D_ The Earth is like a child that knows many poems._x000D_ _x000D_ Many, O so many. For the hardship_x000D_ _x000D_ of such long learning she receives the prize._x000D_ _x000D_ _x000D_ Strict was her teacher. _x000D_ _x000D_ The white in the old man's beard pleases us._x000D_ _x000D_ Now, what to call green, to call blue,_x000D_ _x000D_ we dare to ask: She knows, She knows!
Verses are not, as people think, feelings (those one has early enough) -- they are experiences. For the sake of a verse one must see many cities, men, and things, one must know the animals feel how birds fly, and know the gesture with which the little flowers open in the morning.
a good marriage is that in which each appoints the other guardian of his solitude
He reproduced himself with so much humble objectivity, with the unquestioning, matter of fact interest of a dog who sees himself in a mirror and thinks: there's another dog.
The only journey is the one within.
And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been
If anything is certain, it is that I myself am not a Marxist.
Tell her this And more,— That the king of the seas Weeps too, old, helpless man. The bustling fates Heap his hands with corpses Until he stands like a child With surplus of toys.
In high school, when I first heard of entropy, I was attracted to it immediately. They said that in nature all systems are breaking down, and I thought, What a wonderful thing; perhaps I can make some small contribution to this process, myself.
Bid, then, the tender light of faith to shine By which alone the mortal heart is led Unto the thinking of the thought divine.
Being tolerant does not mean that I share another one's belief. But it does mean that I acknowledge another one's right to believe, and obey, his own conscience.
It isn't true that convicts live like animals: animals have more room to move around.
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