And at least in poetry you should feel free to lie. That is, not to lie, but to imagine what you want, to follow the direction of the poem.
Mark StrandRead
Once you start describing nothingness, you end up with somethingness.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Describing the absence of something can paradoxically lead to a new understanding or perspective.
Mark Strand's quote speaks to the paradoxical nature of thought and language. When we attempt to articulate concepts such as 'nothingness,' we often discover that this exploration leads us to new insights and understandings, creating 'somethingness' in our minds that wasn't there before. It highlights the complexity of existence and how even discussing absence shapes our perceptions and understanding of reality.
Themes
NothingnessExistencePhilosophyLanguageUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the meaning of life, this quote can be used to illustrate how exploring deep questions can lead to meaningful insights.
More from Mark Strand
All quotes β...In another time, What cannot be seen will define us, and we shall be prompted To say that language is error, and all things are wronged By representation. The self, we shall say, can never be Seen with a disguise, and never be seen without one.
Mark StrandRead
Even this late it happens the coming of love, the coming of light. You wake and the candles are lit as if by themselves, stars gather, dreams pour into your pillows, sending up warm bouquets of air. Even this late the bones of the body shine and tomorrowβs dust flares into breath.
Mark StrandRead
No voice comes from outer space, from the folds of dust and carpets of wind to tell us that this is the way it was meant to happen, that if only we knew how long the ruins would last we would never complain.
Mark StrandRead
From the shadow of domes in the city of domes,_x000D_ A snowflake, a blizzard of one, weightless, entered your room_x000D_ And made its way to the arm of the chair where you, looking up_x000D_ From your book, saw it the moment it landed. That's all_x000D_ There was to it.
Mark StrandRead
There's a certain point, when you're writing autobiographical stuff, where you don't want to misrepresent yourself. It would be dishonest.
Mark StrandRead
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