In being more than an exception, part, Though an heroic part, of the commonal. The major abstraction is the commonal, The inanimate, difficult visage.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker reflects on being part of a larger whole, an heroic yet ordinary component of the common, emphasizing abstraction and the difficult, inanimate visage.
- In plain terms
- We are heroic yet ordinary parts of a larger, abstract whole.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize your role within the broader, often unseen, collective.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What part do you play in your community?
- How does seeing yourself as a 'heroic part' affect your actions?
Another view
The phrasing is abstract and may lack clear actionable insight.
More from Wallace Stevens
The major abstraction is the idea of man And major man is its exponent, abler In the abstract than in his singular, More fecund as principle than particle
Permalink to quote #118 What chieftain, walking by himself, crying Most miserable, most victorious, Does not see these separate figures one by one, And yet see only one, in his old co…
Permalink to quote #120 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. G…
Permalink to quote #117
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