--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most music is metaphor, but Wolff is not…" description: "\"Most music is metaphor, but Wolff is not. I am not metaphor either. Parable, maybe. Cage is sermon.\" — Morton Feldman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/morton-feldman-20186_cages_most-music-is-metaphor-but-wolff-is-not_570083.png" --- # Most music is metaphor, but Wolff is not. I am not… ![“Most music is metaphor, but Wolff is not. I am not metaphor either. Parable, maybe. Cage is sermon.” quote by Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/morton-feldman-20186_cages_most-music-is-metaphor-but-wolff-is-not_570083.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/morton-feldman-20186_cages_most-music-is-metaphor-but-wolff-is-not_570083.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39b/morton-feldman-20186_cages_most-music-is-metaphor-but-wolff-is-not_570083.png) > “Most music is metaphor, but Wolff is not. I am not metaphor either. Parable, maybe. Cage is sermon.” [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker contrasts music’s metaphorical nature with his own literal approach, suggesting his work is more like a parable or sermon than a metaphor. **In simple terms:** Feldman sees his music as direct, not metaphorical. Key Takeaway Embrace clarity over abstraction. Themes music art communication Mood contemplative introspective Type analytical reflective When to use this quote - composing - teaching - listening - performance - analysis Key Concepts metaphor parables sermons Questions to Reflect On - How does literal expression affect listener interpretation? - Can a sermon be artistic? A Different Perspective Some listeners may still interpret his work metaphorically despite intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Metaphor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/metaphor/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Parables](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parables/) [Sermons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sermons/) ## Related quotes > [Poetry teaches us music, metaphor, condensation and specificity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-mosley/poetry-teaches-us-music-metaphor-condensation-and-specificity/) [Walter Mosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-mosley/) > [Perhaps the highest goodness attainable is a life of service to all mankind. Such an ideal is supported in nearly every page in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/obert-c-tanner/perhaps-the-highest-goodness-attainable-is-a-life-of-service-to-all/) Obert C. Tanner > [Where possible Paul avoids quoting the teaching of Jesus, in fact even mentioning it. If we had to rely on Paul, we should not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-schweitzer/where-possible-paul-avoids-quoting-the-teaching-of-jesus-in-fact-even/) [Albert Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-schweitzer/) > [“I have found so many angels trapped inside undisputed jargon that I find myself digging at the words, in order to release them, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/i-have-found-so-many-angels-trapped-inside-undisputed-jargon-that-i/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Jesus was short on sermons, long on conversations; short on answers, long on questions; short on abstraction and propositions, long on stories and parables;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/jesus-was-short-on-sermons-long-on-conversations-short-on-answers/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [“The vibrations he felt in his sleep had nothing to do with his soul easing out of his body as he dreamily thought; they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-poet-aberjhani/the-vibrations-he-felt-in-his-sleep-had-nothing-to-do-with-his-soul/) Author-Poet Aberjhani > [“Jealousy destroys the Moral competence to be Successful”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/jealousy-destroys-the-moral-competence-to-be-successful/) [Samuel Asumadu-Sarkodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/) > [The Bible parable says that while men slept, the enemy sowed tares among the wheat. A boy who rises at 4:30 to deliver papers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-ravenhill/the-bible-parable-says-that-while-men-slept-the-enemy-sowed-tares/) [Leonard Ravenhill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-ravenhill/) > [Just as it is the province of science to find out what the facts of life are, to classify them and use them to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-dougall/just-as-it-is-the-province-of-science-to-find-out-what-the-facts-of/) Lily Dougall > [I suspect that Jesus spoke many of his parables as a kind of sad and holy joke and that that may be part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-buechner/i-suspect-that-jesus-spoke-many-of-his-parables-as-a-kind-of-sad-and/) [Frederick Buechner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-buechner/) > [“ The Prodigal Son They gave the deep end of their heart--a hue of crimson red, They whispered their desire and offered up their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-prodigal-son-they-gave-the-deep-end-of-their-heart-a-hue-of/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [“Who can walk in the shoes of the sacrifice of the Lamb,the Lord Jesus Christ?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/who-can-walk-in-the-shoes-of-the-sacrifice-of-the-lamb-the-lord-jesus/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [My son Bill, who came to me in 1960-he was 14 then, quoted the old parable to me: "It is not by their words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/my-son-bill-who-came-to-me-in-1960-he-was-14-then-quoted-the-old/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [“I choose Legacy over Lucre”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/i-choose-legacy-over-lucre/) [Samuel Asumadu-Sarkodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/) > [“Age doesn't mean Maturity but Senescence”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/age-doesn-t-mean-maturity-but-senescence/) [Samuel Asumadu-Sarkodie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-asumadu-sarkodie/) ## More by Morton Feldman > [The most interesting aspect for me, composing exclusively with patterns, is that there is not one organizational procedure more advantageous than another, perhaps because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/the-most-interesting-aspect-for-me-composing-exclusively-with/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [Art in relation to life is nothing more than a glove turned inside out. It seems to have the same shapes and contours, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/art-in-relation-to-life-is-nothing-more-than-a-glove-turned-inside/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [Since music has never had a Rembrandt, we have remained nothing more than musicians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/since-music-has-never-had-a-rembrandt-we-have-remained-nothing-more/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [Any professional knows that the flute and the piano is a boring combination. All you've got to arrive at is a kind of typical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/any-professional-knows-that-the-flute-and-the-piano-is-a-boring/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [For me it's the instrument. If I want to think of a flute and the state of the arts I hear a vibrato; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/for-me-it-s-the-instrument-if-i-want-to-think-of-a-flute-and-the/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [For years I said if I could only find a comfortable chair I would rival Mozart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/for-years-i-said-if-i-could-only-find-a-comfortable-chair-i-would/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [I'm not suspicious, I'm just careful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/i-m-not-suspicious-i-m-just-careful/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [I want to give my compliments to Australia. Ever since your government paid a few million dollars for a Jackson Pollack painting, I figure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/i-want-to-give-my-compliments-to-australia-ever-since-your-government/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [I never feel that my music is sparse or minimalist; the way fat people never really think they're fat. I certainly don't consider myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/i-never-feel-that-my-music-is-sparse-or-minimalist-the-way-fat-people/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [If you think you might have secret information listening to me, you're lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/if-you-think-you-might-have-secret-information-listening-to-me-you-re/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [I've been living with the minor second all my life and I finally found a way to handle it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/i-ve-been-living-with-the-minor-second-all-my-life-and-i-finally/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [No one has the Houdini school of composition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/no-one-has-the-houdini-school-of-composition/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [The tragedy of music is that it begins with perfection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/the-tragedy-of-music-is-that-it-begins-with-perfection/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [It appears to me that the subject of music, from Machaut to Boulez, has always been its construction. Melodies of 12-tone rows just don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/it-appears-to-me-that-the-subject-of-music-from-machaut-to-boulez-has/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) > [What was great about the 50s is that for one brief moment - maybe, say, six weeks - nobody understood art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morton-feldman/what-was-great-about-the-50s-is-that-for-one-brief-moment-maybe-say/) [Morton Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) [Explore all 31 Morton Feldman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morton-feldman/) ## More Cages quotes > [My heart jumps out of its cage to see what the fuss is about. Damn thing. Always so hopeful, but my voice hides it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-wylie/my-heart-jumps-out-of-its-cage-to-see-what-the-fuss-is-about-damn/) [Sarah Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-wylie/) > [When a captive lion steps out of his cage, he comes into a wider world than the lion who has known only the wilds.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yukio-mishima/when-a-captive-lion-steps-out-of-his-cage-he-comes-into-a-wider-world/) [Yukio Mishima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukio-mishima/) > [Peace in the struggle to find peace.. comfort on the way to comfort. And if I shed a tear I won't cage it I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mclachlan/peace-in-the-struggle-to-find-peace-comfort-on-the-way-to-comfort-and/) [Sarah McLachlan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mclachlan/) > [If we are ready to tear down the walls that confine us, break the cage that imprisons us, we will discover what our wings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-elmore-meegan/if-we-are-ready-to-tear-down-the-walls-that-confine-us-break-the-cage/) Michael Elmore-Meegan > [“And then a strange thing happened. Out of the diseased and deteriorated pool os tired thoughts came life. A simple and poisoned life, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-mckean/and-then-a-strange-thing-happened-out-of-the-diseased-and/) [Dave McKean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-mckean/) > [There are certain times you rattle the press's cages, and other times you don't, and you have to be discerning about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-fleischer/there-are-certain-times-you-rattle-the-press-s-cages-and-other-times/) [Ari Fleischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-fleischer/) > [Let yourselves be led by the Holy Spirit, with freedom and, please, do not cage the Holy Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/let-yourselves-be-led-by-the-holy-spirit-with-freedom-and-please-do/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [What do you fear, lady?' he asked. 'A cage,' she said.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-do-you-fear-lady-he-asked-a-cage-she-said/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > ['Untitled' is a time machine that can transport you to 1992, an edgy moment when the art world was crumbling, money was scarce, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/untitled-is-a-time-machine-that-can-transport-you-to-1992-an-edgy/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) > [When I went to Australia, I went shark diving. It was crazy. It was called 'extreme' shark diving because even though we were in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-lautner/when-i-went-to-australia-i-went-shark-diving-it-was-crazy-it-was/) [Taylor Lautner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-lautner/) > [Being in love, you know... it's not like having a canary, in a cage. When you lose one sweetheart, you can't just go out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-waters/being-in-love-you-know-it-s-not-like-having-a-canary-in-a-cage-when/) [Sarah Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-waters/) > [I have been there, and I have seen these totally formed babies as early as ten weeks...with the leg missing, or with their head…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-priya-henry/i-have-been-there-and-i-have-seen-these-totally-formed-babies-as/) Deborah Priya Henry > [The sight of a cage is only frightening to the bird that has once been caught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-field/the-sight-of-a-cage-is-only-frightening-to-the-bird-that-has-once/) [Rachel Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-field/) > [The world rolls under the long thrust of his heel. Over the cage floor the horizons come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-hughes/the-world-rolls-under-the-long-thrust-of-his-heel-over-the-cage-floor/) [Ted Hughes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-hughes/) > [“I think of animals in cages, pressed close against each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-christopher-baer/i-think-of-animals-in-cages-pressed-close-against-each-other/) [Will Christopher Baer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-christopher-baer/) Browse all 561 Cages quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Most music is metaphor, but Wolff is not. I am not metaphor either. Parable, maybe. 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