Labyrinth Quote by Edwin Muir
““Since I emerged that day from the labyrinth, Dazed with the tall and echoing passages, The swift recoils, so many I almost feared I’d meet myself returning at some smooth corner, Myself or my ghost, for all there was unreal After the straw ceased rustling and the bull Lay dead upon the straw and I remained… I could not live if this were not illusion. It is a world, perhaps; but there’s another. For once in a dream or trance I saw the gods Each sitting on the top of his mountain-isle, While down below the little ships sailed by… That was the real world; I have touched it once, And now shall know it always. But the lie, The maze, the wild-wood waste of falsehood, roads That run and run and never reach an end, Embowered in error – I’d be prisoned there But that my soul has birdwings to fly free. Oh these deceits are strong almost as life. Last night I dreamt I was in the labyrinth, And woke far on. I did not know the place.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: “The Labyrinth” by Edwin Muir, 1940s
The speaker describes escaping a confusing, deceptive world (the labyrinth) and glimpsing a higher, true reality, recognizing that illusion can imprison the soul unless one embraces inner freedom.
In simple terms: Escaping illusion reveals a higher truth.
Key Takeaway
Seek truth beyond illusion.
Themes
illusion
spirituality
freedom
selfdiscovery
Mood
reflective
hopeful
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal crisis
- creative inspiration
- philosophical contemplation
Key Concepts
existentialism
metaphor
duality
Questions to Reflect On
- What illusion are you trapped in?
- How can you cultivate inner freedom?
A Different Perspective
The metaphor may be too abstract for practical guidance.
