--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: —No one knows why. Perhaps her mind…" description: "\"“—No one knows why. Perhaps her mind, ravenous, still insatiable, sensed that to struggle with the shreds of a voice must make her artistry subtler, mo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/frank-bidart-22869_art_no-one-knows-why-perhaps-her-mind-raveno_987993.png" --- # —No one knows why. Perhaps her mind, ravenous, still… ![“—No one knows why. Perhaps her mind, ravenous, still insatiable, sensed that to struggle with the shreds of a voice must make her artistry subtler, more refined, more capable of expressing humiliation, rage, betrayal ... —Perhaps the opposite. Perhaps her spirit loathed the unending struggle to…” quote by Frank Bidart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/frank-bidart-22869_art_no-one-knows-why-perhaps-her-mind-raveno_987993.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/frank-bidart-22869_art_no-one-knows-why-perhaps-her-mind-raveno_987993.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/frank-bidart-22869_art_no-one-knows-why-perhaps-her-mind-raveno_987993.png) > ““—No one knows why. Perhaps her mind, ravenous, still insatiable, sensed that to struggle with the shreds of a voice must make her artistry subtler, more refined, more capable of expressing humiliation, rage, betrayal ... —Perhaps the opposite. Perhaps her spirit loathed the unending struggle to embody itself, to manifest itself, on a stage whose mechanics, and suffocating customs, seemed expressly designed to annihilate spirit ... —I know that in Tosca, in the second act, when, humiliated, hounded by Scarpia, she sang Vissi d’arte —“I lived for art”— and in torment, bewilderment, at the end she asks, with a voice reaching harrowingly for the notes, “Art has repaid me LIKE THIS?”” [Frank Bidart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-bidart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The artist endures suffering and conflict, questioning whether art’s reward justifies its pain. **In simple terms:** Art may demand painful sacrifice. Key Takeaway Consider the cost of artistic pursuit. Themes sacrifice art suffering identity expression Mood melancholic introspective Type literary theatrical philosophical When to use this quote - performing arts - creative work - personal struggle - mental health - career challenges Key Concepts Existentialism aesthetic theory psychology Questions to Reflect On - Is suffering essential for authentic art? - How do societal constraints shape artistic expression? A Different Perspective Art can also exploit and diminish the creator’s spirit. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Art Torment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art-torment-2005377/) [Expressing Humiliation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expressing-humiliation-2005378/) [Humiliation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humiliation/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Scarpia Sang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scarpia-sang-2005380/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Torment Bewilderment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/torment-bewilderment-2005379/) ## Related quotes > [It is cruel for you to leave your daughter, so full of hopeand resolve, to suffer the humiliations of disfranchisement she already feels so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-b-anthony/it-is-cruel-for-you-to-leave-your-daughter-so-full-of-hopeand-resolve/) [Susan B. 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Perhaps her mind, ravenous, still insatiable, sensed that to struggle with the shreds of a voice must make her artistry subtler, more refined, more capable of expressing humiliation, rage, betrayal ... —Perhaps the opposite. Perhaps her spirit loathed the unending struggle to embody itself, to manifest itself, on a stage whose mechanics, and suffocating customs, seemed expressly designed to annihilate spirit ... —I know that in Tosca, in the second act, when, humiliated, hounded by Scarpia, she sang Vissi d’arte —“I lived for art”— and in torment, bewilderment, at the end she asks, with a voice reaching harrowingly for the notes, “Art has repaid me LIKE THIS?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frank Bidart" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-bidart/no-one-knows-why-perhaps-her-mind-ravenous-still-insatiable-sensed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Art" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-bidart/no-one-knows-why-perhaps-her-mind-ravenous-still-insatiable-sensed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/frank-bidart-22869_art_no-one-knows-why-perhaps-her-mind-raveno_987993.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/frank-bidart-22869_art_no-one-knows-why-perhaps-her-mind-raveno_987993.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f61/frank-bidart-22869_art_no-one-knows-why-perhaps-her-mind-raveno_987993.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“—No one knows why. 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