I have always been of the mind that in a democracy manners are the only effective weapons against the bowie-knife.
James Russell LowellRead
Poetry is something to make us wiser and better, by continually revealing those types of beauty and truth, which God has set in all men's souls.
Interpretation
Poetry enriches our understanding and elevates our spirit by uncovering inherent beauty and truth within us.
This quote emphasizes the transformative power of poetry, suggesting that it serves a vital purpose in revealing the deeper beauty and truths that reside in the human soul. James Russell Lowell articulates how poetry not only fosters wisdom but also encourages personal growth by connecting us with the profound aspects of our existence, which are divinely placed within us.
In practice
During a poetry reading, to illustrate the importance of poetry in understanding ourselves.
I have always been of the mind that in a democracy manners are the only effective weapons against the bowie-knife.
The foolish and the dead alone never change their opinions.
Not failure, but low aim, is crime.
Good luck is the willing handmaid of upright, energetic character, and conscientious observance of duty.
Puritanism, believing itself quick with the seed of religious liberty, laid, without knowing it, the egg of democracy.
Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.
Acting is a nice childish profession - pretending you're someone else and, at the same time, selling yourself.
Beauty is a fruit which we look at without trying to seize it.
...And, all at once, the moon arouse through the thin ghastly mist, And was crimson in color... And they lynx which dwelleth forever in the tomb, came out therefrom. And lay down at the feet of the demon. And looked at him steadily in the face.
The reason dance has held such an ageless magic for the world is that it has been the symbol of the performance of living.
To me more dear, congenial to my heart, One native charm, than all the gloss of art.
With vocal and choral music, first and foremost, it's the text. Not only do I need to serve the text, but the text - when I'm doing it right - acts as the perfect 'blueprint', and all the architecture is there. The poet has done the heavy lifting, so my job is to find the soul of the poem and then somehow translate that into music.
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