And from that time on I bathed in the Poem Of the Sea, star-infused and churned into milk, Devouring the green azures; where, entranced in pallid flotsam, A dreaming drowned man sometimes goes down.
Arthur RimbaudRead
Idle youth, enslaved to everything; by being too sensitive I have wasted my life.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the wasted potential of youth due to excessive sensitivity and distraction.
In this quote, Arthur Rimbaud laments the lost opportunities of his youth, feeling that his sensitivity and attachment to various influences have hindered his personal development. He suggests that being overly attuned to emotional experiences made him submissive to external pressures, ultimately leading to a sense of squandered life. It's a poignant reminder of how youth can be consumed by social expectations and emotional turmoil, preventing individuals from pursuing their true passions and aspirations.
Themes
YouthSensitivityLifeWastedPotential
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about personal growth and overcoming challenges in youth.
More from Arthur Rimbaud
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In the great glasshouses streaming with condensation, the children in mourning-dress beheld marvels.
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I turned silences and nights into words. What was unutterable, I wrote down. I made the whirling world stand still.
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What a life! True life is elsewhere. We are not in the world.
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Life is the farce we are all forced to endure.
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