Life itself Quote by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
““Whereas Einstein was not the James Joyce of scientists and James Joyce was not the Einstein of novelists who no one could go beyond because beyond was a space where all is curved and comes around again to its beginning in a relative sort of way and after all isn't that what a river does always turning back upon itself like a serpent eating its tail which is life itself and everyone's life like a rushing stream down a mountain into the greatest river and the river always coming back to itself after it flows to the ocean and returns in clouds and rain and sunsets although today sunsets are dying the rivers dying and how much longer will the river be returning and returning as if a river really ever could come home again with its voyagers and that far wanderer James Joyce always leaning back to listen to old River Liffey telling him the great tale always whispering to him that wake of words for all of us to wail upon along a riverrun homing in the gloaming””
About This Quote
Source Poem: “The River” by Lawrence Ferlinghetti, 1971
The quote draws a parallel between the endless, self‑referential nature of rivers and the cyclical, recursive qualities of literature and life, suggesting that both flow, return, and reshape themselves over time.
In simple terms: Life and art are cyclical, looping back on themselves.
Embrace the recurring patterns in your work and existence.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- writing
- personal reflection
- environmental observation
- urban life
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you recognize cycles in your own life?
- What does the river symbolize for you personally?
The metaphor may over‑complicate simple experiences, making the point feel forced.