Wild honey smells of freedom The dust - of sunlight The mouth of a young girl, like a violet But gold - smells of nothing.
Anna AkhmatovaRead
In the terrible years of the Yezhov terror I spent seventeen months waiting in line outside the prison in Leningrad. One day somebody in the crowd identified me . . . and asked me in a whisper . . . "Can you describe this?" And I said: "I can."
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the courage to confront and articulate the harsh realities of life during a time of oppression.
In this quote by Anna Akhmatova, she recounts her experience during the Yezhov terror in the Soviet Union, where fear and oppression were rampant. Despite the unbearable conditions, she expresses a willingness to bear witness and share her truth, emphasizing the power of voice and the importance of truth-telling in the face of terror and injustice.
Themes
CourageTruthOppressionFearResilience
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could inspire a speech on the importance of standing up against injustice.
More from Anna Akhmatova
All quotes →And you know, I agree to everything: I will condemn, I will forget, I will give comfort to the enemy, Darkness will be light and sin lovely.
Anna AkhmatovaRead
Who will grieve for this woman? Does she not seem too insignificant for our concern? Yet in my heart I never will deny her, Who suffered death because she chose to turn.
Anna AkhmatovaRead
I myself, from the very beginning, Seemed to myself like someone's dream or delirium Or a reflection in someone else's mirror, Without flesh, without meaning, without a name. Already I knew the list of crimes That I was destined to commit.
Anna AkhmatovaRead
If you were music I would listen to you ceaselessly And my low spirits would brighten up.
Anna AkhmatovaRead
Not, not mine: it's somebody else's wound; I could never have borne it. So take the thing that happened, hide it, stick it in the ground; whisk the lamps away.
Anna AkhmatovaRead
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