Don't we forgive everything of a lover? We forgive selfishness, desire, guile. As long as we are the motive for it...There are some European words you can never translate properly into another language.
Michael OndaatjeRead
She had always wanted words, she loved them; grew up on them. Words gave her clarity, brought reason, shape.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote expresses the deep appreciation for words and their power to provide clarity and understanding in life.
In this quote by Michael Ondaatje, the speaker reflects on a person's lifelong affection for words, highlighting how they have been a source of clarity and structure for her. Words are portrayed as essential tools that not only convey meaning but also shape one's perception of the world, illustrating the profound impact language has on an individual's thoughts and experiences.
Themes
WordsClarityLanguageUnderstandingPower
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of storytelling, this quote can emphasize the impact of words in shaping narratives.
More from Michael Ondaatje
All quotes βWhen we are young we do not look into mirrors. It is when we are old, concerned with our name, our legend, what our lives will mean to the future. We become vain with the names we own, our claims to have been the first eyes, the strongest army, the cleverest merchant. It is when he is old that Narcissus wants a graven image of himself.
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Water is the exile, carried back in cans and flasks, the ghost between your hands and your mouth.
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You must talk to me, Caravaggio. Or am I just a book? Something to be read, some creature to be tempted out of a loch and shot full of morphine, full of corridors, lies, loose vegetation, pockets of stones.
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You don't want to write your own opinion, you don't want to just represent yourself, but represent yourself through someone else.
Michael OndaatjeRead
A man in a desert can hold absence in his cupped hands, knowing it is something that feeds him more than water.
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