--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is an eagle in me that wants to…" description: "\"There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.\" — Carl Sandburg" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/carl-sandburg-952_hippopotamus_there-is-an-eagle-in-me-that-wants-to-so_2524208.png" --- # There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a… ![“There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.” quote by Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/carl-sandburg-952_hippopotamus_there-is-an-eagle-in-me-that-wants-to-so_2524208.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/carl-sandburg-952_hippopotamus_there-is-an-eagle-in-me-that-wants-to-so_2524208.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/carl-sandburg-952_hippopotamus_there-is-an-eagle-in-me-that-wants-to-so_2524208.png) > “There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.” [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human nature contains both lofty aspirations and grounding, earthy desires, reflecting a balance of ambition and contentment. **In simple terms:** We have both soaring and grounded sides. Key Takeaway Honor both ambition and humility. Themes balance ambition humility Mood contemplative balanced Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career goals - personal relationships - creative pursuits - spiritual practice - daily routines Key Concepts psychology philosophy nature Questions to Reflect On - How do you nurture both aspects? - What grounds you when you aim high? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on one side can cause imbalance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hippopotamus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hippopotamus/) ## Related quotes > [There is an eagle in me that wants to soar...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/there-is-an-eagle-in-me-that-wants-to-soar/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [I have never been able to entertain a God-idea which was not integrally related to the fact of chipmunks, squirrels, hippopotamuses, galaxies, and light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sittler/i-have-never-been-able-to-entertain-a-god-idea-which-was-not/) [Joseph Sittler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sittler/) > [“Frankly, I couldn't be more astonished that this guy was involved in something like this than if you came riding through my apartment on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/frankly-i-couldn-t-be-more-astonished-that-this-guy-was-involved-in/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [The hippopotamus is a vegetarian and looks like a wall. Lions who eat only red meat are sleek and slim. Are nutritionists on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/the-hippopotamus-is-a-vegetarian-and-looks-like-a-wall-lions-who-eat/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) > [I found in one of the tombs an inscription saying, 'If you touch my tomb, you will be eaten by a crocodile and hippopotamus.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zahi-hawass/i-found-in-one-of-the-tombs-an-inscription-saying-if-you-touch-my/) [Zahi Hawass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zahi-hawass/) > [There is no need to worry about mere size. We do not necessarily respect a fat man more than a thin man. Sir Isaac…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-no-need-to-worry-about-mere-size-we-do-not-necessarily/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [ \[his healing skills\] ..lay in the ability to comfort, to comfort in the proper sense, to make strong, to fortify from The Hippopotamus ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/his-healing-skills-lay-in-the-ability-to-comfort-to-comfort-in-the-2/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [A hippo sandwich is easy to make. All you do is simply take one slice of bread, one slice of cake, some mayonnaise, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/a-hippo-sandwich-is-easy-to-make-all-you-do-is-simply-take-one-slice/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [A man is born an artist as a hippopotamus is born a hippopotamus; and you can no more make yourself one than you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-is-born-an-artist-as-a-hippopotamus-is-born-a-hippopotamus-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have figured for you the distance between the horns of a dilemma, night and day, and A and Z. I have computed how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/i-have-figured-for-you-the-distance-between-the-horns-of-a-dilemma/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Is a hippopotamus a hippopotamus, or just a really cool Opotamus?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/is-a-hippopotamus-a-hippopotamus-or-just-a-really-cool-opotamus/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [“Dressing, I chose the second shirt, the one softened in the mouth of a trained and perfumed albino hippopotamus and made entirely of pigeon's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-harkaway/dressing-i-chose-the-second-shirt-the-one-softened-in-the-mouth-of-a/) [Nick Harkaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-harkaway/) > [Molecular genetics can show off some surprising relationships like, for example, the close relationship of whales to hippopotamuses, which I think nobody ever guessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/molecular-genetics-can-show-off-some-surprising-relationships-like/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Marriage! ... Why, it is like living in a thimble with a hippopotamus!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bottome/marriage-why-it-is-like-living-in-a-thimble-with-a-hippopotamus/) [Phyllis Bottome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bottome/) > [“they knew what we’re doing for them, they’d kiss our feet. But mentally they are closer to the crocodile and the hippopotamus than to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/they-knew-what-we-re-doing-for-them-they-d-kiss-our-feet-but-mentally/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) ## More by Carl Sandburg > [Arithmetic is numbers you squeeze from your head to your hand to your pencil to your paper till you get the answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/arithmetic-is-numbers-you-squeeze-from-your-head-to-your-hand-to-your/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Gather the stars if you wish it so Gather the songs and keep them. Gather the faces of women. Gather for keeping years and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/gather-the-stars-if-you-wish-it-so-gather-the-songs-and-keep-them/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Back of every mistaken venture and defeat is the laughter of wisdom, if you listen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/back-of-every-mistaken-venture-and-defeat-is-the-laughter-of-wisdom/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Somebody's little girl- how easy it is to make a sob story over who she once was and who she now is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/somebody-s-little-girl-how-easy-it-is-to-make-a-sob-story-over-who/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Let your heart look on white sea spray and be lonely. Love is a fool star. You and a ring of stars may mention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/let-your-heart-look-on-white-sea-spray-and-be-lonely-love-is-a-fool/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Two bubbles found they had rainbows on their curves. They flickered out saying: "It was worth being a bubble, just to have held that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/two-bubbles-found-they-had-rainbows-on-their-curves-they-flickered/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Poetry is a series of explanations of life, fading off into horizons too swift for explanations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/poetry-is-a-series-of-explanations-of-life-fading-off-into-horizons/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [There are ten men in me and I do not know or understand one of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/there-are-ten-men-in-me-and-i-do-not-know-or-understand-one-of-them/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [The drum in a dream pounds loud to the dreamer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/the-drum-in-a-dream-pounds-loud-to-the-dreamer/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [“Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/time-is-the-most-valuable-coin-in-your-life-you-and-you-alone-will/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/poetry-is-the-opening-and-closing-of-a-door-leaving-those-who-look/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [a women is like a tea bag.it's only when she is in hot water that you realize how strong she is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/a-women-is-like-a-tea-bag-it-s-only-when-she-is-in-hot-water-that-you/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [My name is Truth and I am the most elusive captive in the universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/my-name-is-truth-and-i-am-the-most-elusive-captive-in-the-universe/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [I won't take my religion from any man who never works except with his mouth and never cherishes any memory except the face of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/i-won-t-take-my-religion-from-any-man-who-never-works-except-with-his/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) > [Rest is not a word of free people. Rest is a monarchical word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/rest-is-not-a-word-of-free-people-rest-is-a-monarchical-word/) [Carl Sandburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) [Explore all 320 Carl Sandburg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/) ## More Hippopotamus quotes > [“they knew what we’re doing for them, they’d kiss our feet. But mentally they are closer to the crocodile and the hippopotamus than to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-vargas-llosa/they-knew-what-we-re-doing-for-them-they-d-kiss-our-feet-but-mentally/) [Mario Vargas Llosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-vargas-llosa/) > [Marriage! ... Why, it is like living in a thimble with a hippopotamus!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bottome/marriage-why-it-is-like-living-in-a-thimble-with-a-hippopotamus/) [Phyllis Bottome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bottome/) > [Molecular genetics can show off some surprising relationships like, for example, the close relationship of whales to hippopotamuses, which I think nobody ever guessed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/molecular-genetics-can-show-off-some-surprising-relationships-like/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“Dressing, I chose the second shirt, the one softened in the mouth of a trained and perfumed albino hippopotamus and made entirely of pigeon's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-harkaway/dressing-i-chose-the-second-shirt-the-one-softened-in-the-mouth-of-a/) [Nick Harkaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-harkaway/) > [Is a hippopotamus a hippopotamus, or just a really cool Opotamus?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/is-a-hippopotamus-a-hippopotamus-or-just-a-really-cool-opotamus/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I have figured for you the distance between the horns of a dilemma, night and day, and A and Z. I have computed how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/i-have-figured-for-you-the-distance-between-the-horns-of-a-dilemma/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [A man is born an artist as a hippopotamus is born a hippopotamus; and you can no more make yourself one than you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-is-born-an-artist-as-a-hippopotamus-is-born-a-hippopotamus-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A hippo sandwich is easy to make. All you do is simply take one slice of bread, one slice of cake, some mayonnaise, one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shel-silverstein/a-hippo-sandwich-is-easy-to-make-all-you-do-is-simply-take-one-slice/) [Shel Silverstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shel-silverstein/) > [ \[his healing skills\] ..lay in the ability to comfort, to comfort in the proper sense, to make strong, to fortify from The Hippopotamus ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/his-healing-skills-lay-in-the-ability-to-comfort-to-comfort-in-the-2/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [There is no need to worry about mere size. We do not necessarily respect a fat man more than a thin man. Sir Isaac…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/there-is-no-need-to-worry-about-mere-size-we-do-not-necessarily/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I found in one of the tombs an inscription saying, 'If you touch my tomb, you will be eaten by a crocodile and hippopotamus.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zahi-hawass/i-found-in-one-of-the-tombs-an-inscription-saying-if-you-touch-my/) [Zahi Hawass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zahi-hawass/) > [The hippopotamus is a vegetarian and looks like a wall. Lions who eat only red meat are sleek and slim. Are nutritionists on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erma-bombeck/the-hippopotamus-is-a-vegetarian-and-looks-like-a-wall-lions-who-eat/) [Erma Bombeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erma-bombeck/) > [“Frankly, I couldn't be more astonished that this guy was involved in something like this than if you came riding through my apartment on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-rather/frankly-i-couldn-t-be-more-astonished-that-this-guy-was-involved-in/) [Dan Rather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-rather/) > [I have never been able to entertain a God-idea which was not integrally related to the fact of chipmunks, squirrels, hippopotamuses, galaxies, and light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-sittler/i-have-never-been-able-to-entertain-a-god-idea-which-was-not/) [Joseph Sittler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-sittler/) > [The hippopotamus looks monogamous- he looks as if he would have to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-cuppy/the-hippopotamus-looks-monogamous-he-looks-as-if-he-would-have-to-be/) [Will Cuppy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-cuppy/) [Browse all 32 Hippopotamus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hippopotamus/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Carl Sandburg" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/there-is-an-eagle-in-me-that-wants-to-soar-and-there-is-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Hippopotamus" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/there-is-an-eagle-in-me-that-wants-to-soar-and-there-is-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/carl-sandburg-952_hippopotamus_there-is-an-eagle-in-me-that-wants-to-so_2524208.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/carl-sandburg-952_hippopotamus_there-is-an-eagle-in-me-that-wants-to-so_2524208.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/carl-sandburg-952_hippopotamus_there-is-an-eagle-in-me-that-wants-to-so_2524208.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud.” — Carl Sandburg", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Carl Sandburg", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sandburg/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There is an eagle in me...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/there-is-an-eagle-in-me-that-wants-to-soar-and-there-is-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sandburg/there-is-an-eagle-in-me-that-wants-to-soar-and-there-is-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```