Give me hunger, pain and want, Shut me out with shame and failure From your doors of gold and fame, Give me your shabbiest, weariest hunger! But leave me a little love.
Carl SandburgRead
The single clenched fist lifted and ready, Or the open asking hand held out and waiting. Choose: For we meet by one or the other.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the choice between aggression and openness in human interactions.
Carl Sandburg's quote contrasts two approaches to engagement: the clenched fist symbolizes aggression and confrontation, while the open hand represents peace, cooperation, and a willingness to receive help or connect with others. It emphasizes the power of choice in determining how we interact with the world and suggests that our relationships are shaped by whether we adopt a combative or welcoming stance.
Themes
ChoiceAggressionOpennessInteractionConnection
In practice
Example use cases
During a leadership training session to illustrate the importance of choosing collaboration over conflict.
More from Carl Sandburg
All quotes βNothing happens... but first a dream.
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Read the dictionary from A to Izzard today. Get a vocabulary. Brush up on your diction. See whether wisdom is just a lot of language.
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My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive in the universe.
Carl SandburgRead
There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.
Carl SandburgRead
A liar goes in fine clothes, a liar goes in rags, a liar is a liar, clothes or no clothes.
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