As I've gotten older, I find I am able to be nourished more by sorrow and to distinguish it from depression.
Robert BlyRead
The best poems take long journeys. I like poetry best that journeys--while remaining in the human scale--to the other world, which may be a place as easily overlooked as a bee's wing
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that great poetry explores profound themes while still being relatable to human experience.
Robert Bly's quote emphasizes the idea that the most impactful poems are those that embark on deep explorations, akin to long journeys, yet remain grounded in the human experience. He illustrates that poetry can reach transcendent places, often unnoticed or overlooked, similar to the delicate beauty of a bee's wing, highlighting the significance of both the vast and the subtle in creative expression.
Themes
PoetryJourneyHuman ExperienceExplorationArt
In practice
Example use cases
During a poetry reading at a local cafe, I shared this quote to emphasize the importance of both depth and relatability in artistic expression.
More from Robert Bly
All quotes βI am proud only of those days that pass in undivided tenderness.
Robert BlyRead
My feeling is that poetry is also a healing process, and then when a person tries to write poetry with depth or beauty, he will find himself guided along paths which will heal him, and this is more important, actually, than any of the poetry he writes.
Robert BlyRead
Every part of you that you do not love will regress and become hostile towards you.
Robert BlyRead
The door to the soul is unlocked; you do not need to please the doorkeeper, the door in front of you is yours, intended for you, and the doorkeeper obeys when spoken to.
Robert BlyRead
Don't go outside your house to see flowers. My friend, don't bother with that excursion. Inside your body there are flowers. One flower has a thousand petals. That will do for a place to sit. Sitting there you will have a glimpse of beauty inside the body and out of it, before gardens and after gardens.
Robert BlyRead
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