If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
William Butler YeatsRead
For to articulate sweet sounds together Is to work harder than all these, and yet Be thought an idler by the noisy set Of bankers, schoolmasters, and clergymen The martyrs call the world.
Interpretation
Creating art is a laborious process that is often unrecognized by those who prioritize conventional success.
In this quote, William Butler Yeats reflects on the nature of artistic creation, emphasizing that the effort put into creating beauty through art is substantial and often undervalued by society. While the artists toil to produce their work, they may be dismissed as idle by those who are engaged in more conventional, noisy professions, such as banking or teaching, which society tends to glorify.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of creativity, one might use this quote to highlight the dedication of artists.
If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
It was my first meeting with a philosophy that confirmed my vague speculations and seemed at once logical and boundless.
But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
How far away the stars seem, and how far is our first kiss, and ah, how old my heart.
For he would be thinking of love Till the stars had run away And the shadows eaten the moon.
Love is created and preserved by intellectual analysis, for we love only that which is unique, and it belongs to contemplation, not to action, for we would not change that which we love.
Literature is like any other trade; you will never sell anything unless you go to the right shop.
Abstract painting is abstract. It confronts you. There was a reviewer a while back who wrote that my pictures didn't have any beginning or any end. He didn't mean it as a compliment, but it was.
A living is made, Mr Kemper, by selling something that everybody needs at least once a year.Yes, sir! And a million ismade by producing something that everybody needs every day.You artists produce something that nobody needs at any time.
In the modern world, all literary art is necessarily political -- especially that which pretends not to be.
Elegance must be the right combination of distinction, naturalness, care and simplicity. Outside this, believe me, there is no elegance. Only pretension.
When I started working on ambient music, my idea was to make music that was more like painting.
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