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The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.
Muriel Rukeyser
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes the importance of narratives and experiences over mere physical existence.

Muriel Rukeyser's quote suggests that our understanding of the universe and life itself is shaped more profoundly by the stories we tell and share rather than the physical components that make up reality. It highlights the idea that human experiences, emotions, and narratives give life meaning and richness, transcending the material world.

Themes

UniverseStoriesNarrativeHuman ExperienceMeaning

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of storytelling in culture.

More from Muriel Rukeyser

A work of art is one through which the consciousness of the artist is able to give its emotions to anyone who is prepared to receive them.
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In our period, they say there is free speech. They say there is no penalty for poets, There is no penalty for writing poems. They say this. This is the penalty.
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Nourish beginnings, let us nourish beginnings. Not all things are blest, but the seeds of all things are blest. The blessing is in the seed.
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The town of Gauley Bridge stands as a pattern for all those places where people are linked even in the middle of their suffering, where people fight against an evil condition so that other people need not go through the same fight.
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Always our wars have been our confessions of weakness
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A work of art is one through which the consciousness of the artist is able to give its emotions to anyone who is prepared to receive them. There is no such thing as bad art.
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