Bending Quote by Meridel Le Sueur
“Lie in the sun with the child in your flesh shining like a jewel. Dream and sing, pagan, wise in your vitals. Stand still like a fat budding tree, like a stalk of corn athrob and aglisten in the heat. Lie like a mare panting with the dancing feet of colts against her sides. Sleep at night as the spring earth. Walk heavily as a wheat stalk at its full time bending towards the earth waiting for the reaper. Let your life swell downward so you become like a vase, a vessel. Let the unknown child knock and knock against you and rise like a dolphin within.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: Untitled, 1930s
The poem uses vivid natural imagery to celebrate the body, sensuality, and the cyclical nature of life, urging surrender to primal forces.
In simple terms: Celebrates sensual connection with nature and life cycles.
Key Takeaway
Embrace bodily sensations and natural rhythms.
Themes
nature
sensuality
life cycles
spirituality
Mood
reflective
earthy
Type
poetic
spiritual
When to use this quote
- meditation
- creative writing
- dance
- ritual practice
Key Concepts
embodiment
ritual
transformation
Questions to Reflect On
- How does the poem’s imagery evoke personal transformation?
- What does “unknown child” symbolize?
A Different Perspective
The dense metaphorical language may be opaque to some readers.
