The despondency that follows makes me feel somewhat like a shipwrecked man who spies a sail, sees himself saved, and suddenly remembers that the lens of his spyglass has a flaw, a blurred spot -- the sail he has seen.
Jean GenetRead
Erotic play discloses a nameless world which is revealed by the nocturnal language of lovers. Such language is not written down. It is whispered into the ear at night in a hoarse voice. At dawn it is forgotten.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote explores the intimate, secretive expressions of love that occur in passionate encounters.
In this quote, Jean Genet suggests that the expression of love, especially in its erotic form, exists in a unique and unspoken realm that transcends ordinary communication. This 'nocturnal language' symbolizes the deep, personal connections that lovers share, which are fleeting and often lost by the morning, emphasizing the ephemeral nature of such experiences and feelings.
Themes
LoveEroticIntimacyCommunicationSecrecyFleeting
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about the nature of romantic relationships during a poetry reading.
More from Jean Genet
All quotes →I'm homosexual. How and why are idle questions. It's a little like wanting to know why my eyes are green.
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I decided to be what crime made of me.
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It's a true image, born of a false spectacle.
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Anyone who hasn't experienced the ecstasy of betrayal knows nothing about ecstasy at all.
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