None are so old as those who have outlived enthusiasm.
Henry David ThoreauRead
Poetry is the only life got, the only work done, the only pure product and free labor of man, performed only when he has put all the world under his feet, and conquered the last of his foes.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Poetry represents the ultimate expression of human experience and creativity, achieved once one has overcome life's challenges.
In this quote, Thoreau emphasizes the profound significance of poetry as a vital aspect of human existence. He suggests that poetry emerges as the purest form of expression and creation once a person has triumphed over their struggles and fully embraced their life, symbolizing a state of mastery and transcendence over worldly challenges. It highlights the idea that true creativity is born out of overcoming adversity and that poetry, as an art form, serves as a testament to the human spirit's resilience and capacity for beauty.
Themes
PoetryLifeCreativityExpressionArt
In practice
Example use cases
In a poetry reading event to emphasize the power of artistic expression.
More from Henry David Thoreau
All quotes →Through want of enterprise and faith men are where they are, buying and selling and spending their lives like servants.
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Have no mean hours, but be grateful for every hour, and accept what it brings. The reality will make any sincere record respectable.
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As every season seems best to us in its turn, so the coming in of spring is like the creation of Cosmos out of Chaos and the realization of the Golden Age.
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That grand old poem called Winter
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