Poetry is a street fighter. It has sharp elbows. It can look after itself. Poetry can't be used for manipulation; it's why you never see good poetry in advertising.
David WhyteRead
It's my contention that there is no sincere path a human being can take without breaking his or her heart...so it can be a lovely, merciful thing to think, 'Actually, there is no path I can take without having my heart broken, so why not get on with it and stop wanting these extra-special circumstances which stop me from doing something courageous?'
Interpretation
What this quote means
Embracing life's challenges involves accepting the inevitability of heartache.
David Whyte's quote emphasizes that all meaningful journeys in life come with risks and the possibility of heartache. Rather than avoiding challenges out of fear of pain, we should accept that heartbreak is a part of growth and courageously pursue our endeavors, letting go of the desire for perfect conditions.
Themes
CourageHeartbreakPathGrowthRisk
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about resilience and taking risks in life.
More from David Whyte
All quotes →Poetry is often the art of overhearing yourself say things you didn't know you knew. It is a learned skill to force yourself to articulate your life, your present world or your possibilities for the future.
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By definition, poetry works with qualities and dynamics that mainstream society is reluctant to face head-on. It's an interesting phenomenon that by necessity, poetry is just below the radar.
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The price of our vitality is the sum of all our fears
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The severest test of work today, is not of our strategies, but of our imaginations and identities.
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We learn, grow and become compassionate and generous as much through exile as homecoming, as much through loss as gain, as much through giving things away as in receiving what we believe to be our due.
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