The poet is one who is able to keep the fresh vision of the child alive.
Anais NinRead
We three belong to the Middle Ages. We have this need of heroism, and there is no place for such feelings in modern life. That is our tragedy. Once I wanted to be a saint. It seemed the only absolute act left to do, for what is most powerful in me is the craving for purity, greatness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses a longing for heroism and purity, which the speaker feels is lacking in contemporary life.
Anais Nin reflects on a deep yearning for a heroic ideal and a sense of purity that she associates with the Middle Ages. She believes that modern life offers no room for such profound feelings, leading her to grapple with a sense of tragedy in this realization. The desire to be a saint symbolizes the pursuit of greatness and moral elevation, suggesting that these ideals are increasingly difficult to achieve in the modern world.
Themes
HeroismModern LifePurityGreatnessLonging
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about the importance of aspirations in life.
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We celebrate peace. Yet we pay no attention to the ways of curing aggression in human beings. And when one sees in psychoanalysis hostility disappearing as people conquer their fears, one wonders if the cure is not there.
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The impetus to grow and live intensely is so powerful in me I cannot resist it. I will work, I will love my husband, but I will fulfill myself.
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We have been poisoned by fairy tales.
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But I lie. I embellish. My words are not deep enough. They disguise, they conceal. I will not rest until I have told of my descent into a sensuality which was as dark, as magnificent, as wild, as my moments of mystic creation have been dazzling, ecstatic, exalted.
Anais NinRead
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