Poetry is a street fighter. It has sharp elbows. It can look after itself. Poetry can't be used for manipulation; it's why you never see good poetry in advertising.
David WhyteRead
You must learn one thing. The world was made to be free in. Give up all the other worlds Except the one in which you belong.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Embrace your true self and the reality that resonates with you, letting go of distractions.
David Whyte's quote encourages individuals to focus on their authentic existence and to realize that true freedom comes from living in alignment with oneself. It suggests that the world is vast but emphasizes the importance of belonging to a specific place or set of beliefs, thereby inviting a sense of clarity and purpose in one's life.
Themes
FreedomBelongingAuthenticitySelf-DiscoveryIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about personal growth, you could use this quote to inspire listeners to embrace their individuality.
More from David Whyte
All quotes βPoetry is often the art of overhearing yourself say things you didn't know you knew. It is a learned skill to force yourself to articulate your life, your present world or your possibilities for the future.
David WhyteRead
By definition, poetry works with qualities and dynamics that mainstream society is reluctant to face head-on. It's an interesting phenomenon that by necessity, poetry is just below the radar.
David WhyteRead
The price of our vitality is the sum of all our fears
David WhyteRead
The severest test of work today, is not of our strategies, but of our imaginations and identities.
David WhyteRead
We learn, grow and become compassionate and generous as much through exile as homecoming, as much through loss as gain, as much through giving things away as in receiving what we believe to be our due.
David WhyteRead
Similar quotes
So while I can't tell you if bringing a child into this world is the morally-responsible to do, I can say that the future, much like the present, is going to be a whole lot better than you think.
Peter DiamandisRead
Life is elsewhere. Cross frontiers. Fly away.
Salman RushdieRead
Sadness gives depth. Happiness gives height. Sadness gives roots. Happiness gives branches. Happiness is like a tree going into the sky, and sadness is like the roots going down into the womb of the earth. Both are needed, and the higher a tree goes, the deeper it goes, simultaneously. The bigger the tree, the bigger will be its roots. In fact, it is always in proportion. That's its balance.
RajneeshRead
In the Constitution of the United States, Negroes are referred to as fellows although the word 'slave' is carefully avoided before the thirteenth amendment.
W. E. B. Du BoisRead
I am entirely persuaded that the agitations of the public mind advance its powers, and that at every vibration between the points of liberty and despotism, something will be gained for the former. As men become better informed, their rulers must respect them the more.
Thomas JeffersonRead
Every man is of importance to himself.
Samuel JohnsonRead