The best poems take long journeys. I like poetry best that journeys--while remaining in the human scale--to the other world, which may be a place as easily overlooked as a bee's wing
Robert BlyRead
When anyone seriously pursues an art - painting, poetry, sculpture, composing - over twenty or thirty years, the sustained discipline carries the artist down to the countryside of grief, and that descent, resisted so long proves invigorating. . . . As I've gotten older, I find I am able to be nourished more by sorrow and to distinguish it from depression.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Pursuing art deeply brings both sorrow and growth, helping one differentiate grief from depression.
This quote by Robert Bly suggests that a long-term commitment to creative pursuits can lead artists into a profound exploration of their emotions, particularly sorrow. As they age, they become more adept at recognizing the distinction between constructive grief, which can nourish their creativity, and unproductive depression, highlighting the enriching aspects of artistic discipline and emotional resilience.
Themes
ArtSorrowGriefCreativityEmotion
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on the role of emotions in creative expression, this quote can illustrate the importance of confronting sorrow.
More from Robert Bly
All quotes →As I've gotten older, I find I am able to be nourished more by sorrow and to distinguish it from depression.
Robert BlyRead
I am proud only of those days that pass in undivided tenderness.
Robert BlyRead
My feeling is that poetry is also a healing process, and then when a person tries to write poetry with depth or beauty, he will find himself guided along paths which will heal him, and this is more important, actually, than any of the poetry he writes.
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Every part of you that you do not love will regress and become hostile towards you.
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The door to the soul is unlocked; you do not need to please the doorkeeper, the door in front of you is yours, intended for you, and the doorkeeper obeys when spoken to.
Robert BlyRead
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