Whether by theft or by artistry or by conquest, when it comes to time, Venetians are the world's greatest experts. They bested time like no one else.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on how Venetians have uniquely engaged with time through their history and culture.
In this quote, Joseph Brodsky highlights the exceptional ability of the Venetians to manipulate and understand the concept of time. The phrase suggests that whether through creative expression, historical achievements, or other means, the people of Venice have managed to dominate the passage of time, creating a profound impact on the world's appreciation of it.
In practice
During a seminar on cultural history, one might use this quote to illustrate how cities shape the human experience of time.
Basically, it's hard for me to assess myself, a hardship not only prompted by the immodesty of the enterprise, but because one is not capable of assessing himself, let alone his work. However, if I were to summarize, my main interest is the nature of time. That's what interests me most of all. What time can do to a man.
One always pulls the trigger out of self-interest and quotes history to avoid responsibility or pangs of conscience.
On the whole, infinity is a fairly palpable aspect of this business of publishing, if only because it extends a dead author's existence beyond the limits he envisioned, or provides a living author with a future he cannot measure. In other words, this business deals with the future which we all prefer to regard as unending.
The invention of ethical and political doctrines, which blossomed into our own social sciences, is a product of times when things appeared manageable. The same goes for the criticism of those doctrines, though as a voice from the past, this criticism proved prophetic.
Try not to pay attention to those who will try to make life miserable for you. There will be a lot of those - in the official capacity as well as the self-appointed.
To put it in plain language, Russia is that country where the name of a writer appears not on the cover of his book, but on the door of his prison cell.
Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.
The way to God is the opposite to that of the world. And to few, very few, are given to have God and mammon at the same time.
Reputation is favorable notoriety as distinguished from fame, which is permanent approval of great deeds and noble thoughts by the best intelligence of mankind.
With equality of experience and of general faculties, a woman usually sees much more than a man of what is immediately before her.
The abjection of our political situation is the only true challenge today. Only facing up to this situation in all its desperation can help us get out of it.
I believe empathy is the most essential quality of civilization.
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