Arrogance Quote by Alec Wilder
““Beauty! Art! Wit! Wonderment! Humility! Arrogance! Style! Virtue! Decency! Patience! And all the others, Gone, trampled by the Newly-polished jack boots Of the clog-suited society. I'm a stranger here, from Another planet; Not spotted yet, but Getting peculiar stares> Forbidden entrance to All the places where Air remains, Where green is true and water unmolested. In any other time, (Excepting Attila's) I'd be a hero. Why, they'd even name An alley after me And put a blotting-paper Plaque on all my doors. Not because I was great But because I insisted on All the words and ways rejected by Those who wait ferally In the ancient trees.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: Untitled, contemporary literary collection
The poem critiques societal conformity, celebrating individuality and the outsider’s perspective while lamenting the suppression of nonconformity.
In simple terms: Society pressures conformity, but the outsider values uniqueness.
Key Takeaway
Stand firm in your uniqueness despite pressure.
Themes
individuality
conformity
rebellion
alienation
creativity
Mood
defiant
reflective
critical
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- creative work
- social activism
- personal journaling
- academic discussion
Key Concepts
social critique
identity
artistic expression
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you resist societal pressure?
- What value does being an outsider bring?
A Different Perspective
May be too abstract for some readers.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
