Mother, though my song's measure is like your surf-beat's ancient rhythm I never learned it of you. Before there was any water there were tides of fire, both our tones flow from the older fountain.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Jeffers describes his song's rhythm as deriving from ancient cosmic fire rather than maternal influence.
- In plain terms
- My song comes from the ancient tides of fire in the universe rather than my mother.
- What can you take from it?
- Connect personal creativity to deeper cosmic origins than immediate family.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Where does creativity truly come from?
- Does connecting to nature make art more meaningful?
Another view
It dismisses the direct influence of human relationships on art.
More from Robinson Jeffers
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