Poets are being pursued by the philosophers today, out of the poverty of philosophy. God damn it, you might think a man had no business to be writing, to be a poet unless some philosophic stinker gave him permission.
William Carlos WilliamsRead
Somewhere the sense makes copper roses steel roses — The rose carried weight of love but love is at an end — of roses It is at the edge of the petal that love waits.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote explores the transitory nature of love, symbolized by roses, suggesting that love can transform and carry weight but ultimately faces an end.
In this quote, William Carlos Williams uses the imagery of roses to convey the complex feelings attached to love. The comparison of 'copper roses' to 'steel roses' represents how love can evolve and intensify, yet the essence of love is fragile and ephemeral, often found at the borders of what appears beautiful. Ultimately, it reflects on the inevitability of love's conclusion, inviting contemplation on the nature of affection and attachment.
Themes
LoveRosesTransienceEmotionBeauty
In practice
Example use cases
During a wedding toast, one might reflect on the weight of love with this quote.
More from William Carlos Williams
All quotes →For the beginning is assuredly the end- since we know nothing, pure and simple, beyond our own complexities.
William Carlos WilliamsRead
It was the love of love, the love of swallows up all else, a grateful love, a love of natural, of people, of animals, a love ingengering gentleness and goodness that moved meand that I saw in you
William Carlos WilliamsRead
O frost bitten blossoms, That are unfolding your wings From out the envious black branches. Bloom quickly and make much of the sunshine. The twigs conspire against you! Hear hem! They hold you from behind.
William Carlos WilliamsRead
No opinion can be trusted; even the facts may be nothing but a printer's error.
William Carlos WilliamsRead
It is almost impossible to state what one in fact believes, because it is almost impossible to hold a belief and to define it at the same time.
William Carlos WilliamsRead
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