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
What this quote means
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.
Themes
CultureHistoryHuman SpiritUnderstandingAchievement
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the role of arts in education, this quote can highlight the importance of cultural awareness.
More from Matthew Arnold
All quotes →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.
Matthew ArnoldRead
It is almost impossible to exaggerate the proneness of the human mind to take miracles as evidence, and to seek for miracles as evidence.
Matthew ArnoldRead
To have the sense of creative activity is the great happiness and the great proof of being alive.
Matthew ArnoldRead
Nature, with equal mind, Sees all her sons at play, Sees man control the wind, The wind sweep man away.
Matthew ArnoldRead
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.
Matthew ArnoldRead
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Freedom would be not to choose between black and white but to abjure such prescribed choices.
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