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.
For all we know, we are the only shot the universe has at intelligent self-organization. Therefore, we need to take it seriously.
We are here and it is now. Further than that, all human knowledge is moonshine.
I'm going to die one day. I know it's coming for me, too. I'll be a mountain, I'll be a stone on the beach. I'll be nourishment.
[T]he delegation of the government, in [a republic], to a small number of citizens elected by the rest . . . [is] to refine and enlarge the public views by passing them through the medium of a chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country and whose patriotism and love of justice will be least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or partial considerations.
Every man is the builder of a temple called his body.
A man may easier see without eyes, speak without a tongue, than truly mortify one sin without the Spirit.
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