He is and may be but oh! He is, he is, This foundling of the infected past, so bright, So moving in the manner of his hand. Yet look not at his colored eyes. Give him No names. Dismiss him from your images. The hot of him is purest in the heart.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Do not name or judge this figure; value the inner heat over external appearances.
- In plain terms
- Ignore names and looks; value his inner nature.
- What can you take from it?
- Value inner nature over external labels.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can you know someone without names?
- What matters more than looks?
Another view
Inner qualities are hard to verify without external signs.
More from Wallace Stevens
My dame, sing for this person accurate songs.
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Permalink to quote #118 Apotheosis is not The origin of the major man. He comes, Compact in invincible foils, from reason, Lighted at midnight by the studious eye, Swaddled in revery,…
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