And what a congress of stinks!- Roots ripe as old bait, Pulpy stems, rank, silo-rich, Leaf mold, manure, lime, piled against slippery planks, Nothing would give up life: Even the dirt kept breathing a small breath.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the interconnectedness of life, emphasizing the persistence of nature even in decay.
In this quote, Theodore Roethke paints a vivid picture of decay and life coexisting, highlighting the rich, almost pungent, nature of existence. The imagery of various organic materials and the affirmation that 'nothing would give up life' invites the reader to appreciate the cycles of life and death, and how even in decay, there is vitality. This complex relationship between the refuse of life and the ongoing breath of nature suggests that all forms of life are intertwined, and that even the most seemingly lifeless elements contribute to the continuous breath of existence.
In practice
This quote could be featured in a nature documentary discussing the cycles of life and decomposition.
My Papa's Waltz: The whiskey on your breath Could make a small boy dizzy; But I hung on like death: Such waltzing was not easy. We romped until the pans Slid from the kitchen shelf; My mother's countenance Could not unfrown itself. The hand that held my wrist Was battered on one knuckle; At every step you missed My right ear scraped a buckle. You beat time on my head With a palm caked hard by dirt, Then waltzed me off to bed Still clinging to your shirt.
Art is our defense against hysteria and death.
The indignity of it!-_x000D_ _x000D_ With everything blooming above me,_x000D_ _x000D_ Lilies, pale-pink cyclamen, roses,_x000D_ _x000D_ Whole fields lovely and inviolate,-_x000D_ _x000D_ Me down in the fetor of weeds,_x000D_ _x000D_ Crawling on all fours,_x000D_ _x000D_ Alive, in a slippery grave.
By daily dying, I have come to be.
The stones were sharp, The wind came at my back; Walking along the highway, Mincing like a cat.
The self says, I am; The heart says, I am less; The spirit says, you are Nothing.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena.
Totalitarian states killed with impunity and no one was held accountable. That didn't happen in the West.
I have often thought that when I do die it will be of sheer boredom.
Believing there's no God means I can't really be forgiven except by kindness and faulty memories. That's good; it makes me want to be more thoughtful. I have to try to treat people right the first time around.
When people learn no tools of judgment and merely follow their hopes, the seeds of political manipulation are sown.
What you yourself hate, don't do to your neighbor. This is the whole law; the rest is commentary. Go and study.
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