...we shall board our imagined ship and wildly sail among sacred islands of the mad till death shatters the fabulous stars and makes us real.
Sylvia PlathRead
Backward we traveled to reclaim the day Before we fell, like Icarus, undone; All we find are altars in decay And profane words scrawled black across the sun.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on lost potential and the consequences of Icarus's fall, symbolizing the beauty and tragedy of human ambition.
In this poem, Sylvia Plath uses the myth of Icarus, who flew too close to the sun, as a metaphor for human aspirations and the inevitable failures that follow. The imagery of altars in decay and profane words suggests a sense of nostalgia for what was once revered but is now lost, highlighting the struggle between ambition and the harsh reality of existence.
Themes
AmbitionFailureNostalgiaMythologyLoss
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used to inspire students to embrace their ambitions despite potential failures during a graduation speech.
More from Sylvia Plath
All quotes βThe hardest thing, I think, is to live richly in the present, without letting it be tainted & spoiled out of fear for the future or regret for a badly-managed past.
Sylvia PlathRead
It is as if my life were magically run by two electric currents: joyous positive and despairing negative--which ever is running at the moment dominates my life, floods it.
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You walked in, laughing, tears welling confused, mingling in your throat. How can you be so many women to so many people, oh you strange girl?
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I keep wanting to crawl back into the womb.
Sylvia PlathRead
It's the living, the eating, the sleeping that everyone needs. Ideas don't matter so much after all. My three best friends are Catholic. I can't see their beliefs, but I can see the things they love to do on earth. When you come right down to it, I do believe in the freedom of the individual.
Sylvia PlathRead
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