Tonight, tonight, won't be just any night. Tonight there will be no morning star.
Stephen SondheimRead
Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Art seeks to create structure and understanding in a disordered world.
This quote by Stephen Sondheim highlights the fundamental purpose of art: to impose order and clarity in the midst of chaos. It suggests that through artistic expression, creators strive to make sense of their surroundings and experiences, transforming confusion and disorder into something meaningful and beautiful.
Themes
ArtChaosOrderMeaningExpression
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about creativity, I would quote Sondheim to emphasize how artists make sense of the world.
More from Stephen Sondheim
All quotes βAfter the Rodgers and Hammerstein revolution, songs became part of the story, as opposed to just entertainments in between comedy scenes.
Stephen SondheimRead
Musical comedies aren't written, they are rewritten.
Stephen SondheimRead
Let Pirelli's / Miracle Elixir / Activate your roots, sir... Keep it off your boots, sir- / Eats right through. Yes, get Pirelli's! / Use a bottle of it! / Ladies seem to love it... Flies do, too!
Stephen SondheimRead
Careful the spell you cast, not just on children. Sometimes the spell may last Past what you can see And turn against you... Careful the tale you tell. That is the spell.
Stephen SondheimRead
Swing your razor wide! Sweeney, hold it to the skies!
Stephen SondheimRead
Similar quotes
Creativity is that marvelous capacity to grasp mutually distinct realities and draw a spark from their juxtaposition.
Max ErnstRead
When you try to unravel something you've written, you belittle it in a way. It was created as a mystery.
Don DelilloRead
An artist worthy of the name should express all the truth of nature, not only the exterior truth, but also, and above all, the inner truth.
Auguste RodinRead
Perfumes are the feelings of flowers.
Heinrich HeineRead
In cinema, the leading player is the director.
Ben KingsleyRead
Beginning a novel is always hard. It feels like going nowhere. I always have to write at least 100 pages that go into the trashcan before it finally begins to work. It's discouraging, but necessary to write those pages. I try to consider them pages -100 to zero of the novel.
Barbara KingsolverRead