Life is Elsewhere
An excerpt by Milan Kundera-Life Is Elsewhere
"Poetry is a domain in which all assertions become true. Yesterday the poet said: "Life is as useless as tears," today he says: "Life is as joyous as laughter," and he is right both times. Today he says: "Everything ends and gives way to silence," and tomorrow he will say: "Nothing ends and everything eternally resounds," and both are true. The poet has no need to prove anything: the only proof lies in the intensity of his emotions.
The genius of lyricism is the genius of inexperience. The poet knows little about the world, but the words that burst forth from him form beautiful patterns that are as definitive as crystal; the poet is immature, yet his verse has the finality of a prophecy by which he himself is dumbfounded.
We can laugh at the poet's immaturity, but we must also marvel at it: in his words there is a droplet that has come from the heart and gives his verse the radiance of beauty. But this droplet has no need for real experience to draw it out of the poet's heart, and it seems to me rather that the poet himself squeezes his heart like a cook squeezing a lemon over the salad.
With his poems the poet paints his self-portrait; but since no portrait is faithful, I can also say that with his poems he touches up his face.
Touches up? Yes, he makes it more expressive, for the imprecision of his own features torments him; he finds himself blurred, insignificant, nondescript; he is looking for a form for himself; he wants the photographic chemical of his poems to firm up the design of his features.
And he makes it more dramatic, for his life is uneventful. The world of his feelings and dreams, materialized in his poems, often looks turbulent and replaces the actions and adventures that are denied him."
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Precisely. Write, for within the words lie a universe we shall never encounter otherwise.
Took a day off work today to sleep off my headache. Will be back in full force tomorrow- my pay for the month is a pittance as it is already.
Thank God that doors have opened for progress on the Pow wow planning to continue. Nothing we ever do for Him is in vain.
"Poetry is a domain in which all assertions become true. Yesterday the poet said: "Life is as useless as tears," today he says: "Life is as joyous as laughter," and he is right both times. Today he says: "Everything ends and gives way to silence," and tomorrow he will say: "Nothing ends and everything eternally resounds," and both are true. The poet has no need to prove anything: the only proof lies in the intensity of his emotions.
The genius of lyricism is the genius of inexperience. The poet knows little about the world, but the words that burst forth from him form beautiful patterns that are as definitive as crystal; the poet is immature, yet his verse has the finality of a prophecy by which he himself is dumbfounded.
We can laugh at the poet's immaturity, but we must also marvel at it: in his words there is a droplet that has come from the heart and gives his verse the radiance of beauty. But this droplet has no need for real experience to draw it out of the poet's heart, and it seems to me rather that the poet himself squeezes his heart like a cook squeezing a lemon over the salad.
With his poems the poet paints his self-portrait; but since no portrait is faithful, I can also say that with his poems he touches up his face.
Touches up? Yes, he makes it more expressive, for the imprecision of his own features torments him; he finds himself blurred, insignificant, nondescript; he is looking for a form for himself; he wants the photographic chemical of his poems to firm up the design of his features.
And he makes it more dramatic, for his life is uneventful. The world of his feelings and dreams, materialized in his poems, often looks turbulent and replaces the actions and adventures that are denied him."
___________________________________________________________________________
Precisely. Write, for within the words lie a universe we shall never encounter otherwise.
Took a day off work today to sleep off my headache. Will be back in full force tomorrow- my pay for the month is a pittance as it is already.
Thank God that doors have opened for progress on the Pow wow planning to continue. Nothing we ever do for Him is in vain.