Each day, and the living of it, has to be a conscious creation in which discipline and order are relieved with some play and pure foolishness.
May SartonRead
I can tell you that solitude Is not all exaltation, inner space Where the soul breathes and work can be done. Solitude exposes the nerve, Raises up ghosts. The past, never at rest, flows through it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Solitude allows for introspection and creativity but also brings forth emotional challenges from the past.
In this quote, May Sarton reflects on the dual nature of solitude. While solitude can be a space for creativity and self-discovery, it also unearths unresolved emotions and memories, challenging individuals to confront their inner struggles. The contrast between the exaltation of inner space and the haunting presence of the past highlights the complexity of being alone, as it can serve both as a sanctuary and a source of discomfort.
Themes
SolitudeIntrospectionEmotionCreativityPast
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on mental health, one might quote Sarton's perspective on the importance of solitude.
More from May Sarton
All quotes →Pain can make a whole winter bright, like fever, force us to live deep and hard.
May SartonRead
She became for me an island of light, fun, wisdom where I could run with my discoveries and torments and hopes at any time of day and find welcome.
May SartonRead
Wrinkles here and there seem unimportant compared to the Gestalt of the whole person I have become in this past year.
May SartonRead
Here life goes on, even and monotonous on the surface, full of lightning, of summits and of despair, in its depths. We have now arrived at a stage in life so rich in new perceptions that cannot be transmitted to those at another stage - one feels at the same time full of so much gentleness and so much despair - the enigma of this life grows, grows, drowns one and crushes one, then all of a sudden in a supreme moment of light one becomes aware of the sacred.
May SartonRead
I think of the trees and how simply they let go, let fall the riches of a season, how without grief (it seems) they can let go and go deep into their roots for renewal and sleep.... Imitate the trees. Learn to lose in order to recover, and remember that nothing stays the same for long, not even pain, psychic pain. Sit it out. Let it all pass. Let it go.
May SartonRead
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