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.
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the beauty of a simple moment in life, highlighting the delicate and ephemeral nature of a snowflake.
In this quote, Mark Strand portrays a serene and intimate moment where a single snowflake enters a room, capturing the attention of a reader immersed in a book. This imagery evokes a sense of wonder and appreciation for the small, fleeting experiences that can unexpectedly interrupt our daily lives, prompting us to pause and engage with the world around us. It emphasizes the grace and beauty that can be found in simplicity and the importance of being present in the moment.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used during a poetry reading to illustrate the beauty of small moments.
More from Mark Strand
All quotes →...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.
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 tomorrow’s dust flares into breath.
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.
There's a certain point, when you're writing autobiographical stuff, where you don't want to misrepresent yourself. It would be dishonest.
It hardly seems worthwhile to point out the shortsightedness of those practitioners who would have us believe that the form of the poem is merely its shape.
Similar quotes
I had given up ( around 1950, fh) any ambition of making a career as an artist…..I had lost all interest in the art shown in galleries and museums, and I no longer aspired to fit in that world. I loved the paintings done by children, and my only desire was to do the same for my own pleasure.
The story was writing itself and I was having a hard time keeping up with it.
That is why I believe that art is so much more significant than either economics or philosophy. It is the direct measure of man's spiritual vision.
I had never before thought of how awful the relationship must be between the musician and his instrument. He has to fill it, this instrument, with the breath of life, his own. He has to make it do what he wants it to do. And a piano is just a piano. It's made out of so much wood and wires and little hammers and big ones, and ivory. While there's only so much you can do with it, the only way to find this out is to try; to try and make it do everything.
And for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.
There's nothing like living a long time to create a depth and soulfulness in your music.