'Does it mean this, does it mean that, that's all anybody wants to know. Fuck them, darling. I say what any decent poet would say if you dared ask him to analyse his work: If you see it, dear, then it's there.'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Mercury rejects over-analysis of his work, stating that interpretation lies with the audience rather than the creator.
- In plain terms
- You don't need to explain your art; if people understand it, that is enough.
- What can you take from it?
- Trust your audience to interpret your work without over-explaining.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Should artists explain their work?
- Does interpretation belong to the creator or viewer?
Another view
Some contexts require artists to explain their intent.
More from Freddie Mercury
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Permalink to quote #35 'We're gonna stay together until we fucking well die, I'm sure we will. I keep wanting to leave, but they won't let me!'
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Related quotes
Artists give us not conclusions but evidence.
Adelaide CrapseyAdelaide Crapsey quote #5 Nobody, I think, ought to read poetry, or look at pictures or statues, who cannot find a great deal more in them than the poet or artist has actually expressed.
Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne quote #21 As has been said...it is impossible to make clear the aims of a work of art by means of words.
Wassily KandinskyWassily Kandinsky quote #22