Poetry is that art which selects and arranges the symbols of thought in such a manner as to excite the imagination the most powerfully and delightfully.
William Cullen BryantRead
And suns grow meek, and the meek suns grow brief, and the year smiles as it draws near its death.
Interpretation
This quote reflects on the passage of time and the gentle acceptance of change.
William Cullen Bryant's quote evokes a sense of the cyclical nature of life, illustrating how even the most vibrant and powerful elements of nature, like the sun, yield to the passage of time and ultimately become fleeting. It suggests that as the year comes to an end, it embraces its transition gracefully, reminding us that beauty often lies in impermanence and that change, though inevitable, can be approached with acceptance and calmness.
In practice
In a speech about the beauty of seasons changing, this quote can reinforce the idea of acceptance in life's transitions.
Poetry is that art which selects and arranges the symbols of thought in such a manner as to excite the imagination the most powerfully and delightfully.
Weep not that the world changes - did it keep a stable, changeless state, it were cause indeed to weep.
Every blade in the field - Every leaf in the forest - lays down its life in its season as beautifully as it was taken up.
Pines a thousand years old. Every year they must go farther for them: they recede, like beavers and Indians, before the white man.
We soon get through with nature. She excites an expectation which she cannot satisfy.
I'm not against extracting a modest amount of wildlife out of the ocean for human consumption, but I am really concerned about the large-scale industrial fishing that engages in destructive practices like trawling and longlining.
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.
Lord I do fear / Thou'st made the world too beautiful this year.
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