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I try to stay a civilian, to live as a human, not as a poet.
Yehuda Amichai
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote reflects a desire to live a simple, human life rather than being defined solely by one's artistic identity.

Yehuda Amichai expresses the tension between being an artist and living a grounded, ordinary life. By stating his intention to remain a 'civilian', he highlights the importance of maintaining human connections and experiences above the pressures that come with being a poet. This sentiment resonates with the idea that a person's value isn’t solely defined by their profession or artistic role, but rather their shared humanity.

Themes

HumanPoetLifeIdentityArt

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about the balance between passion and practicality, you might quote this to emphasize the importance of staying grounded.

More from Yehuda Amichai

And as we stray further from love, we multiply the words. Had we remained together we could have become a silence.
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