There is no feeling, except the extremes of fear and grief, that does not find relief in music.
T. S. EliotRead
A woman drew her long black hair out tight, And fiddled whisper music on those strings, And bats with baby faces in the violet light Whistled, and beat their wings, And crawled head downward down a blackened wall.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote captures a surreal and artistic moment, merging beauty with the grotesque to convey a deeper emotional landscape.
This quote by T. S. Eliot evokes a vivid and unsettling image that blends elements of beauty and darkness. The woman drawing her hair tight and playing music suggests an intense focus on art and the creation process, while the imagery of bats with baby faces introduces a haunting juxtaposition of innocence and horror. The scene unfolds in a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere, inviting readers to explore the complexities and contradictions of life, art, and existence.
Themes
ArtSurrealismBeautyDarknessMusicImagery
In practice
Example use cases
During an art exhibition, one might use this quote to evoke the intense, surreal emotions that art can inspire.
More from T. S. Eliot
All quotes →Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm. But the harm does not interest them.
T. S. EliotRead
I am an Anglo-Catholic in religion, a classicist in literature and a royalist in politics.
T. S. EliotRead
If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?
T. S. EliotRead
For I have known them all already, known them all— Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.
T. S. EliotRead
In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing
T. S. EliotRead
Similar quotes
Through art we express our conception of what nature is not.
Pablo PicassoRead
Stories may well be lies, but they are good lies that say true things, and which can sometimes pay the rent.
Neil GaimanRead
There's nothing more important in making movies than the screenplay.
Richard AttenboroughRead
Pianists call me a composer, composers call me a pianist. The classicists think me a futurist, and the futurists call me a reactionary.
Anton RubinsteinRead
Swing is extreme coordination. It's a maintaining balance, equilibrium. It's about executing very difficult rhythms with a panache and a feeling in the context of very strict time. So, everything about the swing is about some guideline and some grid and the elegant way that you negotiate your way through that grid.
Wynton MarsalisRead
I think it's important that everybody has access to music, and not just people who live in cities or who can afford to drive to the nearest city.
Rhiannon GiddensRead