If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven, and very, very few persons.
James ThurberRead
There is something about a poet which leads us to believe that he died, in many cases, as long as 20 years before his birth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that poets are often misunderstood or ahead of their time, as their insights may not be fully appreciated until long after they're gone.
James Thurber's quote reflects the idea that poets, with their unique perspectives and deep understanding of human emotion and society, often produce work that resonates more profoundly after their death. This can create a sense that their true contributions were recognized only posthumously, illustrating how their genius may not align with the time in which they lived.
Themes
PoetInsightLegacyTimelessnessAppreciation
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the impact of poetry on society, one could express this quote to highlight how poets often have profound insights that are only recognized years later.
More from James Thurber
All quotes →Speed is scarcely the noblest virtue of graphic composition, but it has its curious rewards. There is a sense of getting somewhere fast, which satisfies a native American urge.
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The laughter of man is more terrible than his tears, and takes more forms hollow, heartless, mirthless, maniacal.
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Things have dropped from me. I have outlived certain desires; I have lost friends, some by death... others through sheer inability to cross the street.
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The appreciative smile, the chuckle, the soundless mirth, so important to the success of comedy, cannot be understood unless one sits among the audience and feels the warmth created by the quality of laughter that the audience takes home with it.
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Unless artists can remember what it was to be a little boy, they are only half complete as artist and as man.
James ThurberRead
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