Everything is complicated; if that were not so, life and poetry and everything else would be a bore.
Wallace StevensRead
Throw away the light, the definitions, and say what you see in the dark.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Embrace the unknown and trust your instincts rather than relying solely on established definitions and knowledge.
Wallace Stevens encourages us to look beyond conventional wisdom and definitions, especially in times of uncertainty. By suggesting we observe the 'darkness' of the unknown, he invites us to find our own understanding and insights rather than depending on external explanations and labels.
Themes
UnknownInstinctPerceptionDarknessUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical discussion about knowledge and perception.
More from Wallace Stevens
All quotes βMost modern reproducers of life, even including the camera, really repudiate it. We gulp down evil, choke at good.
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Why should she give her bounty to the dead? What is divinity if it can come Only in silent shadows and in dreams?
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Unfortunately there is nothing more inane than an Easter carol. It is a religious perversion of the activity of Spring in our blood.
Wallace StevensRead
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