If a victory is told in detail, one can no longer distinguish it from a defeat.
Jean-Paul SartreRead
Originally, poetry creates the myth, while the prose-writer draws its portrait.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Poetry shapes the essence of myths, while prose provides a detailed depiction of them.
This quote by Jean-Paul Sartre suggests that poetry and prose serve different purposes in the realm of storytelling and expression. Poetry is seen as a creative force that gives rise to myths, encapsulating deep truths and emotions in a succinct and impactful form, whereas prose is the medium that elaborates on these myths, providing a clear picture and deeper understanding of the narratives established by poetry.
Themes
PoetryProseMythArtExpression
In practice
Example use cases
In a literary discussion about the roles of different writing styles, one might say, 'As Sartre noted, originally, poetry creates the myth, while the prose-writer draws its portrait.'
More from Jean-Paul Sartre
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If you are lonely when you're alone, you are in bad company.
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A kiss without a moustache, they said then, is like an egg without salt; I will add to it: and it is like Good without Evil.
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I wanted pure love: foolishness; to love one another is to hate a common enemy: I will thus espouse your hatred. I wanted Good: nonsense; on this earth and in these times, Good and Bad are inseparable: I accept to be evil in order to become good.
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Night is falling: at dusk, you must have good eyesight to be able to tell the Good Lord from the Devil.
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