I can't tell you where a poem comes from, what it is, or what it is for: nor can any other man. The reason I can't tell you is that the purpose of a poem is to go past telling, to be recognised by burning.
A. R. AmmonsRead
For though we often need to be restored to the small, concrete, limited, and certain, we as often need to be reminded of the large, vague, unlimited, unknown
Interpretation
What this quote means
We require both certainty in the concrete and inspiration from the vast unknown.
This quote expresses the duality of human experience, highlighting our need for both the stability found in the familiar and the expansiveness offered by the unknown. It suggests that while we often seek comfort in the tangible aspects of life, there is also a fundamental need to reconnect with the broader, more mysterious elements that foster growth and curiosity.
Themes
BalanceCertaintyUnknownGrowthCuriosity
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about embracing change, this quote can illustrate the importance of balancing stability with exploration.
More from A. R. Ammons
All quotes →Even if you walk exactly the same route each time - as with a sonnet - the events along the route cannot be imagined to be the same from day to day, as the poet's health, sight, his anticipations, moods, fears, thoughts cannot be the same.
A. R. AmmonsRead
If the greatest god is the stillness all the motions add up to, then we must ineluctably be included.
A. R. AmmonsRead
Definition, rationality, and structure are ways of seeing, but they become prisons when they blank out other ways of seeing.
A. R. AmmonsRead
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