The strange power of art is sometimes it can show that what people have in common is more urgent than what differentiates them. It seems to me it's something that theatre can do, but it's rare; it's very rare.
John BergerRead
My heart born naked was swaddled in lullabies. Later alone it wore poems for clothes. Like a shirt I carried on my back the poetry I had read. So I lived for half a century until wordlessly we met. From my shirt on the back of the chair I learn tonight how many years of learning by heart I waited for you.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote expresses the deep connection between the speaker's emotional experiences and their lifelong journey of learning and self-discovery through literature.
In this quote, John Berger reflects on the intimacy of his relationship with poetry and how it has dressed his heart throughout his life. The use of metaphors like 'naked heart' and 'wearing poems for clothes' illustrates how literature has been a form of emotional protection and expression, culminating in a profound personal connection that he ultimately recognizes as love. It highlights both the vulnerability of human emotions and the significance of art in shaping our experiences and relationships.
Themes
LovePoetryLearningEmotionSelf-Discovery
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the impact of literature on personal development, this quote beautifully illustrates how poetry can shape our understanding of love and relationships.
More from John Berger
All quotes →Unlike any other visual image, a photograph is not a rendering, an imitation or an interpretation of its subject, but actually a trace of it. No painting or drawing, however naturalist, belongs to its subject in the way that a photograph does.
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The camera relieves us of the burden of memory. It surveys us like God, and it surveys for us. Yet no other god has been so cynical, for the camera records in order to forget.
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Propaganda requires a permanent network of communication so that it can systematically stifle reflection with emotive or utopian slogans. Its pace is usually fast.
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Being a unique superpower undermines the military intelligence of strategy. To think strategically, one has to imagine oneself in the enemy's place. If one cannot do this, it is impossible to foresee, to take by surprise, to outflank. Misinterpreting an enemy can lead to defeat. This is how empires fall.
John BergerRead
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