When shall we see poets born? After a time of disasters and great misfortunes, when harrowed nations begin to breathe again. And then, shaken by the terror of such spectacles, imaginations will paint things entirely strange to those who have not witnessed them.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Poetry arises after great disasters when nations recover.
- In plain terms
- Great art comes after suffering when people heal.
- What can you take from it?
- Suffering fuels great art.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What inspires great art?
- Is suffering necessary for creativity?
Another view
Great art also emerges in peace.
More from Denis Diderot
Poetry must have something in it that is barbaric, vast and wild.
Permalink to quote #52 Shakespeare's fault is not the greatest into which a poet may fall. It merely indicates a deficiency of taste.
Permalink to quote #54 It is not human nature we should accuse but the despicable conventions that pervert it.
Permalink to quote #51
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