Don't take shadows too seriously. Reality is your only safety. Continue to reject illusion.
Wole SoyinkaRead
The writer is the visionary of his people... He anticipates, he warns.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the crucial role of a writer in society as a foresighted guide and communicator of ideas and warnings.
Wole Soyinka articulates the profound responsibility and power of writers, suggesting that they serve as visionaries who can foresee societal trends and challenges. Through their narratives and reflections, writers not only entertain but also alert their communities to potential dangers or truths, acting as both a mirror and a beacon for their people's conscience.
Themes
WriterVisionarySocietyAnticipationWarning
In practice
Example use cases
During a literary festival, a speaker might quote this to emphasize the role of writers in shaping public discourse.
More from Wole Soyinka
All quotes βTrading and religion have always been aligned together in the history of the world, and especially on the African continent.
Wole SoyinkaRead
A war, with its attendant human suffering, must, when that evil is unavoidable, be made to fragment more than buildings: It must shatter the foundations of thought and re-create. Only in this way does every individual share in the cataclysm and understand the purpose of sacrifice.
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Rwanda, which is one of the younger independent states in Africa, must be regarded as a model of how great human trauma can be transformed to commence true reconstruction of people. Human trauma can lead to stunted growth and mass withdrawal.
Wole SoyinkaRead
I have a kind of magnetic attraction to situations of violence.
Wole SoyinkaRead
Art is solace; art is vision, and when I pick up a literary work, I am a consumer of literature for its own sake.
Wole SoyinkaRead
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