Time Quote by Patrick Kavanagh
““I have lived in important places, times When great events were decided, who owned That half a rood of rock, a no-man's land Surrounded by our pitchfork-armed claims. I heard the Duffys shouting "Damn your soul!" And old McCabe stripped to the waist, seen Step the plot defying blue cast-steel - "Here is the march along these iron stones." That was the year of the Munich bother. Which Was more important? I inclined To lose my faith in Ballyrush and Gortin Till Homer's ghost came whispering to my mind. He said: I made the Iliad from such A local row. Gods make their own importance.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: "The Great Hunger" (collection), 1947
The poet reflects on personal insignificance amid historical events, suggesting that ordinary lives gain meaning through storytelling and mythic framing.
In simple terms: Ordinary lives become meaningful when woven into larger narratives.
Key Takeaway
Find meaning by linking personal experience to larger stories.
Themes
history
identity
myth
place
memory
Mood
reflective
melancholic
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- writing personal memoirs
- teaching history
- creating art
- family storytelling
Key Concepts
existentialism
narrative
cultural memory
Questions to Reflect On
- How do personal narratives shape our view of history?
- When does myth become a barrier to truth?
A Different Perspective
The quote may romanticize myth over factual truth, risking distortion.
![“Publication there [in Nimbus] was to prove a turning point… The publication of his next volume of verse, Come Dance with Kitty Stobling, was to be directly linked to the mini-collection in Nimbus, and his Collected Poems (1964)” quote by Patrick Kavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c5e/patrick-kavanagh-14181_collections_publication-there-in-nimbus-was-to-prove_784703.jpg)
