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Art bids us touch and taste and hear and see the world, and shrinks from what Blake calls mathematic form, from every abstract form, from all that is of the brain only.
William Butler Yeats
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Art connects us to the world through sensory experiences rather than abstract reasoning.

William Butler Yeats emphasizes the importance of sensory engagement in art, asserting that it invites us to explore and experience the world in a deeper, more profound way. He contrasts this with the limitations of purely intellectual or abstract forms, suggesting that true art allows us to immerse ourselves in the richness of life's sensations rather than just contemplating it through a detached, rational lens.

Themes

ArtSensesExperienceEmotionPerception

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be shared in a discussion about the role of art in education.

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If a poet interprets a poem of his own he limits its suggestibility.
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