--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A man is lying under machine-gun fire on…" description: "\"“A man is lying under machine-gun fire on a street in an embattled city. He looks at the pavement and sees a very amusing sight: the cobblestones are s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d8/czes-aw-mi-osz-21559_judgment-day_a-man-is-lying-under-machine-gun-fire-on_961209.jpg" --- # A man is lying under machine-gun fire on a street in an… ![“A man is lying under machine-gun fire on a street in an embattled city. He looks at the pavement and sees a very amusing sight: the cobblestones are standing upright like the quills of a porcupine. The bullets hitting against their edges displace and tilt them. Such moments in the consciousness of…” quote by Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d8/czes-aw-mi-osz-21559_judgment-day_a-man-is-lying-under-machine-gun-fire-on_961209.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d8/czes-aw-mi-osz-21559_judgment-day_a-man-is-lying-under-machine-gun-fire-on_961209.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3d8/czes-aw-mi-osz-21559_judgment-day_a-man-is-lying-under-machine-gun-fire-on_961209.jpg) > ““A man is lying under machine-gun fire on a street in an embattled city. He looks at the pavement and sees a very amusing sight: the cobblestones are standing upright like the quills of a porcupine. The bullets hitting against their edges displace and tilt them. Such moments in the consciousness of a man judge all poets and philosophers. Let us suppose, too, that a certain poet was the hero of the literary cafes, and wherever he went was regarded with curiosity and awe. Yet his poems, recalled in such a moment, suddenly seem diseased and highbrow. The vision of the cobblestones is unquestionably real, and poetry based on an equally naked experience could survive triumphantly that judgment day of man’s illusions.”” [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In war, ordinary sights become profound; poetic insight can be stripped to raw experience, challenging pretentiousness. **In simple terms:** War reveals truth in simple things; poetry must stay grounded. Key Takeaway Seek honesty over lofty abstraction. Themes war perception poetry Mood reflective critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - battlefield reflections - literary criticism - creative writing workshops - personal trauma processing Key Concepts existentialism realism Questions to Reflect On - How does trauma shape artistic expression? - When is abstraction valuable? A Different Perspective High art can still convey deep truth; not all poetry must be stripped. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Judgment day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment-day/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“Thus, since time immemorial, it has been customary to accept the criticism of art from a man who may or may not have been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/thus-since-time-immemorial-it-has-been-customary-to-accept-the/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Manstein is a man of illusions. ... He believes Hitler will listen to facts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-rommel/manstein-is-a-man-of-illusions-he-believes-hitler-will-listen-to-facts/) [Erwin Rommel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-rommel/) > [Show me a man who claims he is objective and I'll show you a man with illusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-r-luce/show-me-a-man-who-claims-he-is-objective-and-i-ll-show-you-a-man-with/) [Henry R. Luce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-r-luce/) > [It takes a lot to wound a man without illusions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellis-peters/it-takes-a-lot-to-wound-a-man-without-illusions/) [Ellis Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellis-peters/) > [The poets and philosophers I once loved had it wrong. 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Poets and philosophers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/because-philosophy-arises-from-awe-a-philosopher-is-bound-in-his-way/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) > [“Only poets and philosophers see the world as it really is, for only to them is it given to live without illusions. To see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/only-poets-and-philosophers-see-the-world-as-it-really-is-for-only-to/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [In the beginning the Poets and Philosophers taught the world to see. 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They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-hayes/we-rely-upon-the-poets-the-philosophers-and-the-playwrights-to/) [Helen Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-hayes/) > [Poets, not otherwise than philosophers, painters, sculptors, and musicians, are, in one sense, the creators, and, in another, the creations, of their age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/poets-not-otherwise-than-philosophers-painters-sculptors-and/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [“Poets and philosophers are the unacknowledged legislators of the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-bysshe-shelley/poets-and-philosophers-are-the-unacknowledged-legislators-of-the-world/) [Percy Bysshe Shelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-bysshe-shelley/) > [Real friendship, like real poetry, is extremely rare - and precious as a pearl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tahar-ben-jelloun/real-friendship-like-real-poetry-is-extremely-rare-and-precious-as-a/) [Tahar Ben Jelloun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tahar-ben-jelloun/) > [Don't you think that as a people, Americans have less poetry, real poetry, in their souls than any other nations?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-howard/don-t-you-think-that-as-a-people-americans-have-less-poetry-real/) [Robert E. Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-howard/) ## More by Czesław Miłosz > [“When, after a long life, it falls out That he takes on a form he had sought And every word carved in stone Grows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/when-after-a-long-life-it-falls-out-that-he-takes-on-a-form-he-had/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“In the people's democracies, the Communists speak of the "New Faith" and compare its growth to that of Christianity in the Roman Empire. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/in-the-people-s-democracies-the-communists-speak-of-the-new-faith-and/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“And when people cease to believe that there is good and evil, Only beauty will call to them and save them So that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/and-when-people-cease-to-believe-that-there-is-good-and-evil-only/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“There was no castle. You were simply listening to a record. A needle, swaying lightly on a black frozen pond, Led the voices of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/there-was-no-castle-you-were-simply-listening-to-a-record-a-needle/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“You say a name, but its not known to anyone. Either because that man died or because He was a celebrity on the banks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/you-say-a-name-but-its-not-known-to-anyone-either-because-that-man/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“When everything was fine And the notion of sin had vanished And the earth was ready In universal peace To consume and rejoice Without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/when-everything-was-fine-and-the-notion-of-sin-had-vanished-and-the/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“The purpose of poetry is to remind us how difficult it is to remain just one person, for our house is open, there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/the-purpose-of-poetry-is-to-remind-us-how-difficult-it-is-to-remain/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“You whom I could not save Listen to me. Try to understand this simple speech as I would be ashamed of another. I swear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/you-whom-i-could-not-save-listen-to-me-try-to-understand-this-simple/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“I still think too much about the mothers And ask what is man born of woman. He curls himself up and protects his head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/i-still-think-too-much-about-the-mothers-and-ask-what-is-man-born-of/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“Of all things broken and lost, porcelain troubles me most.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/of-all-things-broken-and-lost-porcelain-troubles-me-most/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“You who wronged a simple man Bursting into laughter at the crime, And kept a pack of fools around you To mix good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/you-who-wronged-a-simple-man-bursting-into-laughter-at-the-crime-and/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“Ja sam jestem chłopcem leniwym, dość prymitywnym i bardzo mało mam tego, co się nazywa inteligencją. Skończenie prawa zabiło we mnie umiejętność chłonięcia wiedzy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/ja-sam-jestem-ch-opcem-leniwym-do-prymitywnym-i-bardzo-ma-o-mam-tego/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“I said so little. Days were short. Short days. Short nights. Short years. I said so little. I couldn't keep up. My heart grew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/i-said-so-little-days-were-short-short-days-short-nights-short-years/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“Had Beta been French, perhaps he would've been an existentialist, probably though that would not have satisfied him. He smiled contemptuously at mental speculations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/had-beta-been-french-perhaps-he-would-ve-been-an-existentialist/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) > [“1. That reason is a gift of God and that we should believe in its ability to comprehend the world. 2. That they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czes-aw-mi-osz/1-that-reason-is-a-gift-of-god-and-that-we-should-believe-in-its/) [Czesław Miłosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) [Explore all 29 Czesław Miłosz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czes-aw-mi-osz/) ## More Judgment day quotes > [“To a soul which is wide awake, the Judgment Day does not come after death. For that soul every day is a Judgment Day.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hazrat-inayat-khan/to-a-soul-which-is-wide-awake-the-judgment-day-does-not-come-after/) [Hazrat Inayat Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hazrat-inayat-khan/) > [In a living society every day is a day of judgment; and its recognition as such is not the end of all things but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/in-a-living-society-every-day-is-a-day-of-judgment-and-its/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [Christians believe that there will be a Judgment Day at the end. And it is my belief that on that day justice will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miroslav-volf/christians-believe-that-there-will-be-a-judgment-day-at-the-end-and/) [Miroslav Volf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miroslav-volf/) > [Islam didn't make it Haram for you to fall in love. It didn't forbid you from wanting someone. It only guides that love so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nouman-ali-khan/islam-didn-t-make-it-haram-for-you-to-fall-in-love-it-didn-t-forbid/) [Nouman Ali Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nouman-ali-khan/) > [If your knowledge teaches you not to rise above human weakness and misery and lead your fellow man on the right path, you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalil-gibran/if-your-knowledge-teaches-you-not-to-rise-above-human-weakness-and/) [Khalil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalil-gibran/) > [“Therefore, if we restrict our studies of apocalyptic to the canon of Scripture (Daniel, Zechariah, the Gospels, 22 and Revelation), we can make a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-jersak/therefore-if-we-restrict-our-studies-of-apocalyptic-to-the-canon-of/) Bradley Jersak > [God must have a weird sense of values, and if there's a Judgment Day, as some folks think, He's going to have a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-appleman/god-must-have-a-weird-sense-of-values-and-if-there-s-a-judgment-day/) [Philip Appleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-appleman/) > [Today, Negroes play on every big league club and in every minor league. With millions of other Negroes in other walks of life, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-robinson/today-negroes-play-on-every-big-league-club-and-in-every-minor-league/) [Jackie Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-robinson/) > [And now, we have no option. We can't say 'maybe' 'it's possible' 'it looks very probable...' No way! We have to say this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-camping/and-now-we-have-no-option-we-can-t-say-maybe-it-s-possible-it-looks/) [Harold Camping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-camping/) > [“But as we labor, struggle, fail, weep, succeed, exult, fall, and rise again in the pursuit of daily holiness, we must keep ever before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-andrew-m-davis/but-as-we-labor-struggle-fail-weep-succeed-exult-fall-and-rise-again/) Dr. Andrew M. 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He surprised his hospice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-joseph-mitskavich/his-mind-remained-freakishly-pin-point-sharp-until-his-last-days-but/) Stephen Joseph Mitskavich > [“Just as we turn into animals when we go up to the line, because that is the only thing which brings us through safely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-maria-remarque/just-as-we-turn-into-animals-when-we-go-up-to-the-line-because-that/) [Erich Maria Remarque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-maria-remarque/) [Browse all 87 Judgment day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment-day/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A man is lying under machine-gun fire on a street in an embattled city. He looks at the pavement and sees a very amusing sight: the cobblestones are standing upright like the quills of a porcupine. The bullets hitting against their edges displace and tilt them. 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