The sea is calm tonight. The tide is full, the moon lies fair Upon the straits;- on the French coast the light Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand, glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
Matthew ArnoldRead
Culture, the acquainting ourselves with the best that has been known and said in the world, and thus with the history of the human spirit.
Interpretation
Culture is essential for understanding human achievements and spirit.
In this quote, Matthew Arnold emphasizes the importance of culture in connecting individuals with the greatest thoughts and expressions throughout history. He suggests that immersing ourselves in cultural achievements allows us to better understand the evolution of human thought, creativity, and experience, thereby enriching our own lives and perspectives.
In practice
In a discussion about the role of arts in education, this quote can highlight the importance of cultural awareness.
The sea is calm tonight. The tide is full, the moon lies fair Upon the straits;- on the French coast the light Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand, glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay.
And each day brings it's pretty dust, Our soon-choked souls to fll And we forget because we must, And not because we will.
It is almost impossible to exaggerate the proneness of the human mind to take miracles as evidence, and to seek for miracles as evidence.
To have the sense of creative activity is the great happiness and the great proof of being alive.
Nature, with equal mind, Sees all her sons at play, Sees man control the wind, The wind sweep man away.
Weary of myself, and sick of asking What I am, and what I ought to be, At this vessel's prow I stand, which bears me Forwards, forwards, o'er the starlit sea.
To him, who still would gaze upon the glory of the summer sun, there comes, when that sun will from him part, a sullen hopelessness of heart.
I don't think I had even begun to have an idea where I was going, but wherever it was, that was where I wanted to go.
I don't believe there's an atom of meaning in it.
An intellectual? Yes. And never deny it. An intellectual is someone whose mind watches itself. I like this, because I am happy to be both halves, the watcher and the watched. "Can they be brought together?" This is a practical question. We must get down to it. "I despise intelligence" really means: "I cannot bear my doubts.
But if the Vision was true and mighty, as I know, it is true and mighty yet;for such things are of Spirit, and it is in the darkness of their eyes that men get lost.
God turns you from one feeling to another and teaches by means of opposites so that you will have two wings to fly, not one.
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