QuoteProject
The poet's eye, in a fine frenzy rolling, doth glance from heaven to Earth, from Earth to heaven; and as imagination bodies forth the forms of things unknown, the poet's pen turns them to shape, and gives to airy nothing a local habitation and a name; such tricks hath strong imagination.
William Shakespeare
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote highlights the transformative power of a poet's imagination, allowing them to create and define the unknown.

In this quote, Shakespeare emphasizes the extraordinary capabilities of a poet's imagination, depicting how it transcends the mundane world. The poet observes the world and translates their visions into tangible forms through writing, giving life and substance to the abstract. This process of creation reveals the potency of imagination, as it takes what is intangible and brings it into existence, showcasing the unique role of the poet in capturing the essence of human experience.

Themes

PoetryImaginationCreationArtExpression

In practice

Example use cases

In a literary discussion about the creative process of writing poetry.

More from William Shakespeare

As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
Love bears it out even to the edge of doom.
William ShakespeareRead
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
William ShakespeareRead
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
William ShakespeareRead
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
William ShakespeareRead
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
William ShakespeareRead

Similar quotes

The best stories come out of the truth.
Ridley ScottRead
What do you think an artist is? ...he is a political being, constantly aware of the heart breaking, passionate, or delightful things that happen in the world, shaping himself completely in their image. Painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war.
Pablo PicassoRead
Art is not a study of positive reality, it is the seeking for ideal truth.
John RuskinRead
You speak of Lord Byron and me; there is this great difference between us. He describes what he sees I describe what I imagine. Mine is the hardest task.
John KeatsRead
The hungry and the haunted explode in a rock'n'roll band.
Bruce SpringsteenRead
Music has been my outlet, my gift to all of the lovers in this world. Through it - my music, I know I will live forever.
Michael JacksonRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.