Now I become myself. It's taken Time, may years and…
““Now I become myself. It's taken Time, may years and places; I have been dissolved and shaken, Worn other people's faces, Run madly, as if Time were there, Terribly old, crying a warning, "Hurry, you will be dead before--" (What? Before you reach the morning? Or the end off the poem is clear? Or love safe in the walled city?) Now to stand still, to be here, Feel my own weight and density! The black shadow on the paper Is my hand; the shadow of a word As thought shapes the shaper Falls heavy on the page, is heard. All fuses now, falls into place From wish to action, word to silence, My work, my love, my time, my face Gather into one intense Gesture of growing like a plant. As slowly as the ripening fruit Fertile, detached, and always spent, Falls but does not exhaust the root, So all the poem is, can give, Grows in me to become the song; Made so and rooted by love. Now there is time and Time is young. O, in this single hour I live All of myself and do not move. I, pursued, who madly ran, Stand still, stand still, and stop in the sun.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Self‑realization emerges through time, struggle, and creative focus.
In simple terms: Finding self through time and art.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate authentic expression.
Themes
self‑discovery
creativity
time
identity
growth
Mood
contemplative
introspective
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- writing practice
- art therapy
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
existentialism
artistic process
mindfulness
Questions to Reflect On
- What parts of self remain hidden?
- How does time shape identity?
A Different Perspective
Art may not capture all truths.