Poetry Quote by Friedrich Hölderlin
““To the Parcae" A single summer grant me, great powers, and a single autumn for fully ripened song that, sated with the sweetness of my playing, my heart may more willingly die. The soul that, living, did not attain its divine right cannot repose in the nether world. But once what I am bent on, what is holy, my poetry, is accomplished: Be welcome then, stillness of the shadows’ world! I shall be satisfied though my lyre will not accompany me down there. Once I lived like the gods, and more is not needed.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: Hyperion, 1800
The poet longs for divine inspiration and a timeless, fulfilled existence, yet acknowledges mortality and the limits of earthly achievement.
In simple terms: Seeking eternal art while accepting human limits.
Key Takeaway
Pursue art, but recognize life's finite nature.
Themes
art
mortality
spirituality
creativity
legacy
Mood
melancholic
contemplative
Type
poetic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- Writing
- musical composition
- visual arts
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
Divine inspiration
human yearning
transcendence
Questions to Reflect On
- What does “divine right” mean to you?
- How do you reconcile ambition with mortality?
A Different Perspective
Art cannot fully escape death or worldly constraints.
![“[Y]ou were too alert to the figurative possibilities of words not to see the phrase [angle of repose] as descriptive of human as well as detrital rest. As you said, it was too good for mere dirt; you tried to apply it to your own wandering and uneasy life ... I wonder if you ever reached it.” quote by Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7b2/wallace-stegner-1352_life_y-ou-were-too-alert-to-the-figurative-po_96500.jpg)
