The clouds preceded us. There was a muddy centre before we breathed. There was a myth before the myth began, Venerable and articulate and complete. From this the poem springs: that we live in a place That is not our own and, much more, not ourselves And hard it is in spire of blazoned days.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Existence feels foreign despite our origins in chaos and myth.
- In plain terms
- We live in a place that is not our own.
- What can you take from it?
- Accept that life feels distant and unfamiliar.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Where do you feel you belong?
- How do you relate to the world?
Another view
Many feel fully connected to their place.
More from Wallace Stevens
The first idea was not our own. Adam In Eden was the father of Descartes And eve made air the mirror of herself, Of her sons and of her daughters.
Permalink to quote #100 We are the mimics. Clouds are pedagogues.
Permalink to quote #102 Life's nonsense pierces us with strange relation.
Permalink to quote #99
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