They don't ask much of you. They only want you to hate the things you love and to love the things you despise.
Boris PasternakRead
No bad man can be a good poet.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A good poet must possess moral depth and integrity, as true artistry reflects one's character.
Boris Pasternak's quote suggests that the essence of poetry is intertwined with the poet's moral compass; a poet who lacks goodness cannot create genuine art that resonates with truth and beauty. This implies that artistic expression is not merely a matter of skill or technique, but is profoundly connected to the ethical and emotional state of the creator, emphasizing the necessity of a virtuous heart in producing meaningful work.
Themes
PoetryArtMoralityCreativityCharacter
In practice
Example use cases
In a literary discussion about the moral responsibilities of artists, this quote can highlight the importance of integrity in poetry.
More from Boris Pasternak
All quotes βEven so, one step from my grave, I believe that cruelty, spite, The powers of darkness will in time, Be crushed by the spirit of light.
Boris PasternakRead
He is her glory. Any woman could say it. For every one of them, God is in her child. Mothers of great men must have been familiar with this feeling, but then, all women are mothers of great men -- it isn't their fault if life disappoints them later.
Boris PasternakRead
Our evenings are farewells. Our parties are testaments. So that the secret stream of suffering. May warm the cold of life.
Boris PasternakRead
The most extraordinary discoveries are made when the artist is overwhelmed by what he has to say.
Boris PasternakRead
Oh, how one wishes sometimes to escape from the meaningless dullness of human eloquence, from all those sublime phrases, to take refuge in nature, apparently so inarticulate, or in the wordlessness of long, grinding labor, of sound sleep, of true music, or of a human understanding rendered speechless by emotion!
Boris PasternakRead
Similar quotes
There are different kinds of artists and very often, I'll be very frank with you, I wish I were a different kind.
Wole SoyinkaRead
Thirst will parch your tongue and your body will waste through lack of sleep ere you can describe in words that which painting instantly sets before the eye.
Leonardo Da VinciRead
My drawings are the result of my sculpture.
Auguste RodinRead
Art is a personal act of courage, something one human does that creates change in another.
Seth GodinRead
The main thing is to be moved, to love, to hope, to tremble, to live. Be a man before being an artist!
Auguste RodinRead
If you love theatre, do theatre wherever you can, because theatre is theatre, and you can experience it anywhere.
George C. WolfeRead