Ars Poetica To gaze at the river made of time and water…
““Ars Poetica To gaze at the river made of time and water And recall that time itself is another river, To know we cease to be, just like the river, And that our faces pass away, just like the water. To feel that waking is another sleep That dreams it does not sleep and that death, Which our flesh dreads, is that very death Of every night, which we call sleep. To see in the day or in the year a symbol Of mankind's days and of his years, To transform the outrage of the years Into a music, a rumor and a symbol, To see in death a sleep, and in the sunset A sad gold, of such is Poetry Immortal and a pauper. For Poetry Returns like the dawn and the sunset. At times in the afternoons a face Looks at us from the depths of a mirror; Art must be like that mirror That reveals to us this face of ours.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The poem likens time, life, and death to flowing water, urging us to view existence as a continuous, reflective cycle where art mirrors our inner selves.
In simple terms: Life and death are like a river; poetry reflects us.
Key Takeaway
Embrace change and let art reveal your true self.
Themes
time
death
art
reflection
impermanence
Mood
reflective
melancholic
inspirational
Type
poetic
philosophical
contemplative
When to use this quote
- contemplating mortality
- creative writing
- personal growth
- mindfulness
- grief processing
Key Concepts
philosophy
metaphor
existentialism
poetics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does viewing life as a river change your perspective?
- What role does art play in revealing personal truth?
A Different Perspective
The abstract language may be hard to grasp for some readers.