All music is is what awakes from you when you are reminded by the instruments.
The earth is rude, silent, incomprehensible at first; Be not discouraged - keep on - there are divine things, well envelop'd; I swear to you there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote encourages perseverance in the face of nature's initial harshness, suggesting that beauty and divinity lie beneath the surface.
Walt Whitman's quote expresses the idea that while nature may initially appear harsh, silent, and difficult to understand, one should not lose hope. By advocating for persistence and exploration, Whitman reveals that there are profound and beautiful experiences awaiting those who look beyond the surface. This perspective invites individuals to appreciate the deeper, often hidden, beauty and divinity present in the world around them.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a nature retreat, one might share this quote to inspire others to appreciate the hidden beauty in the environment.
More from Walt Whitman
All quotes →Did you, too, O friend, suppose democracy was only for elections, for politics, and for a party name? I say democracy is only of use there that it may pass on and come to its flower and fruit in manners, in the highest forms of interaction between people, and their beliefs - in religion, literature, colleges and schools- democracy in all public and private life.
In the confusion we stay with each other, happy to be together, speaking without uttering a single word.
A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.
Now, dearest comrade, lift me to your face,_x000D_ _x000D_ We must separate awhileHere! take from my lips this kiss._x000D_ _x000D_ Whoever you are, I give it especially to you;_x000D_ _x000D_ So long!And I hope we shall meet again.
And whoever walks a furlong without sympathy walks to his own funeral drest in his shroud.
Similar quotes
After all, I don't see why I am always asking for private, individual, selfish miracles when every year there are miracles like white dogwood.
The increasing desolation of nature, the exhaustion of resources, the uneasiness and disintegration of the human spirit, all have been brought about by humanity's trying to accomplish something.
A fish is more valuable swimming in the sea maintaining the integrity of oceanic eco-systems than it is on anyone's plate.
The two most beautiful sights I have witnessed in my life are a full blown ship at sail and the round-bellied pregnant female.
The public must learn how to cherish the nobler and rarer plants, and to plant the aloe, able to wait a hundred years for it's bloom, or it's garden will contain, presently, nothing but potatoes and pot-herbs.
Nature must be viewed humanly to be viewed at all; that is, her scenes must be associated with humane affections, such as are associated with one's native place. She is most significant to a lover. A lover of Nature is preeminently a lover of man. If I have no friend, what is Nature to me? She ceases to be morally significant. . .