--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am imbued with the notion that a Muse…" description: "\"I am imbued with the notion that a Muse is necessarily a dead woman, inaccessible or absent; that a poetic structure - like the canon, which is only a ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/michel-leiris-36286_absent_i-am-imbued-with-the-notion-that-a-muse_946676.jpg" --- # I am imbued with the notion that a Muse is necessarily a… ![“I am imbued with the notion that a Muse is necessarily a dead woman, inaccessible or absent; that a poetic structure - like the canon, which is only a hole surrounded by steel - can be based only on what one does not have; and that ultimately one can write only to fill a void or at the least to…” quote by Michel Leiris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/michel-leiris-36286_absent_i-am-imbued-with-the-notion-that-a-muse_946676.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/michel-leiris-36286_absent_i-am-imbued-with-the-notion-that-a-muse_946676.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a3/michel-leiris-36286_absent_i-am-imbued-with-the-notion-that-a-muse_946676.jpg) > “I am imbued with the notion that a Muse is necessarily a dead woman, inaccessible or absent; that a poetic structure - like the canon, which is only a hole surrounded by steel - can be based only on what one does not have; and that ultimately one can write only to fill a void or at the least to situate, in relation to the most lucid part of ourselves, the place where this incommensurable abyss yawns within us.” [Michel Leiris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-leiris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage explores the idea that artistic creation fills an inner void, using the muse as a metaphor for the inaccessible source of inspiration. **In simple terms:** Art fills inner emptiness. Key Takeaway Create to bridge the void. Themes creativity absence self-discovery Mood introspective inspirational Type philosophical creative When to use this quote - writing a novel - painting - composing music Key Concepts existentialism artistic inspiration Questions to Reflect On - What void are you trying to fill through art? - How does acknowledging absence shape your work? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abyss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abyss/) [Canon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canon/) [Muse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muse/) [Poetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetic/) [Structure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/structure/) [Void](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/void/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“I don’t know how I feel about a canon anymore ... The sheer volume of books that exist out there means that a canon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/i-don-t-know-how-i-feel-about-a-canon-anymore-the-sheer-volume-of/) [N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/) > [I could name many women who travel or who work with America as a theme. 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But my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/i-don-t-really-have-a-favorite-camera-i-use-a-leica-and-canon-a-lot/) [Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/) > [Now, occultism is not like mystic faculty, and it very seldom works in harmony either with business aptitude in the things of ordinary life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-e-waite/now-occultism-is-not-like-mystic-faculty-and-it-very-seldom-works-in/) [A. E. 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