Poetry is the supreme fiction, madame. Take the moral law and make a nave of it And from the nave build haunted heaven. Thus, The conscience is converted into palms, Like windy citherns hankering for hymns.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Poetry elevates moral laws into imaginative constructs that inspire spiritual longing.
- In plain terms
- Poetry turns rules into inspiring stories.
- What can you take from it?
- Use poetry to inspire moral imagination.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can fiction teach morality?
- How does art shape conscience?
Another view
It may prioritize imagination over actual moral action.
More from Wallace Stevens
The day of the sun is like the day of a king. It is a promenade in the morning, a sitting on the throne at noon, a pageant in the evening.
Permalink to quote #8 We agree in principle. That's clear. But take The opposing law and make a peristyle, And from the peristyle project a masque Beyond the planets. Thus, our bawd…
Permalink to quote #10 Unfortunately there is nothing more inane than an Easter carol. It is a religious perversion of the activity of Spring in our blood.
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