Everything is complicated; if that were not so, life and poetry and everything else would be a bore.
After the final no there comes a yes_x000D_ And on that yes the future world depends.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Persistence is key to achieving success, as it often takes many attempts to reach a positive outcome.
Wallace Stevens' quote emphasizes the importance of perseverance in the face of rejection or failure. The 'final no' represents the obstacles and challenges one encounters, but after enduring these setbacks, a positive response—a 'yes'—can emerge, leading to possibilities for a brighter future. This reflects the notion that determination and resilience are crucial in the pursuit of one's goals, suggesting that the eventual success not only impacts the individual but has broader implications for the world.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can inspire a team during a brainstorming session after experiencing setbacks.
More from Wallace Stevens
All quotes →Most modern reproducers of life, even including the camera, really repudiate it. We gulp down evil, choke at good.
After one has abandoned a belief in God, poetry is that essence which takes its place as life's redemption.
Why should she give her bounty to the dead? What is divinity if it can come Only in silent shadows and in dreams?
LIGHT FROM WITHIN my friend, cancer got you damn it: you had it beat for seven years at least. how did it come back? Why all that pain. again. and you, such a fighter you fought me over and over with tears and words and promises. you fought for me with honesty and a light so bright it hurts my heart. sweet lorna. at peace now finally no more battles, just light from within a flickering candle in the dark burns with you.
Unfortunately there is nothing more inane than an Easter carol. It is a religious perversion of the activity of Spring in our blood.
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You become what you believe. You are where you are today in your life based on everything you have believed.
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