--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He realized that for Ponge there was no…" description: "\"“He realized that for Ponge there was no division between the work of writing and the work of seeing. For no word can be written without first having b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcc/paul-auster-351_memory_he-realized-that-for-ponge-there-was-no_1872997.jpg" --- # He realized that for Ponge there was no division between… ![“He realized that for Ponge there was no division between the work of writing and the work of seeing. For no word can be written without first having been seen, and before it finds its way to the page it must first have been part of the body, a physical presence that one has lived with in the same…” quote by Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcc/paul-auster-351_memory_he-realized-that-for-ponge-there-was-no_1872997.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcc/paul-auster-351_memory_he-realized-that-for-ponge-there-was-no_1872997.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcc/paul-auster-351_memory_he-realized-that-for-ponge-there-was-no_1872997.jpg) > ““He realized that for Ponge there was no division between the work of writing and the work of seeing. For no word can be written without first having been seen, and before it finds its way to the page it must first have been part of the body, a physical presence that one has lived with in the same way one lives with one's heart, one's stomach, and one's brain. Memory, then, not so much as the past contained within us, but as proof of our life in the present. If a man is to be truly present among his surroundings, he must be thinking not of himself, but of what he sees. He might forget himself in order to be there. And from that forgetfulness arises the power of memory.”” [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Seeing and writing are inseparable; perception becomes language, and memory is lived experience. **In simple terms:** Seeing shapes writing; memory is lived. Key Takeaway Observe fully before describing. Themes perception memory creativity Mood reflective introspective Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - writing workshops - art criticism - mindfulness practice Key Concepts embodiment phenomenology Questions to Reflect On - How does observation change memory? - Can we write without seeing? A Different Perspective Memory can be distorted by selective focus. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Forgetfulness Arises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgetfulness-arises-2597085/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Memory Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory-past/) [Presence Lived](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presence-lived-2597087/) [Sees Forget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sees-forget-2597086/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“The main benefit of memory for past events may be that it allows us to imagine future events.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-suddendorf/the-main-benefit-of-memory-for-past-events-may-be-that-it-allows-us/) [Thomas Suddendorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-suddendorf/) > [I treasure the memory of the past misfortunes. It has added more to my bank of fortitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/i-treasure-the-memory-of-the-past-misfortunes-it-has-added-more-to-my/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [Some there are that torment themselves afresh with the memory of what is past; others, again, afflict themselves with the apprehension of evils to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/some-there-are-that-torment-themselves-afresh-with-the-memory-of-what/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Be Brave for do Something, and Delete memory in the Past so that you can do it](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-fernandes/be-brave-for-do-something-and-delete-memory-in-the-past-so-that-you/) [Leo Fernandes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-fernandes/) > [“The present moment is so much more rich, and dynamic, and has so much more depth than anything we can think about, any thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-perelmuter/the-present-moment-is-so-much-more-rich-and-dynamic-and-has-so-much/) [Todd Perelmuter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-perelmuter/) > [Memory is therefore, neither Perception nor Conception, but a state or affection of one of these, conditioned by lapse of time. As already observed,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/memory-is-therefore-neither-perception-nor-conception-but-a-state-or/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [Either the memory of past bliss is the anguish of to-day; or the agonies which are have their origins in ecstasies which might have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/either-the-memory-of-past-bliss-is-the-anguish-of-to-day-or-the/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [“Don't live in regret! It is such a useless idea. Use the memory to prevent us do bad things! Regret is a childish wish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/don-t-live-in-regret-it-is-such-a-useless-idea-use-the-memory-to/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [If you were feeling sad right now and you recall a sad - or, a very happy memory from the past, it will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-docter/if-you-were-feeling-sad-right-now-and-you-recall-a-sad-or-a-very/) [Pete Docter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-docter/) > [I discovered that Thailand was one of those countries, like Sri Lanka and India, where memory of past lives used to be commonplace. Go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burdett/i-discovered-that-thailand-was-one-of-those-countries-like-sri-lanka/) [John Burdett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burdett/) > [“But the memory of past sorrow--is it not present joy?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/but-the-memory-of-past-sorrow-is-it-not-present-joy/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [The memory of my past and the story of my future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-leanne/the-memory-of-my-past-and-the-story-of-my-future/) [Kristen\_Leanne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-leanne/) > [“The arrow of time obscures memory of both past and future circumstance with innumerable fallacies, the least trivial of which is perception.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashim-shanker/the-arrow-of-time-obscures-memory-of-both-past-and-future/) [Ashim Shanker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashim-shanker/) > [Sweet is the memory of past troubles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/sweet-is-the-memory-of-past-troubles/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Human beings are naturally flawed when it comes to time and memory. The past is forgotten, or it is believed bad things will not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-britain/human-beings-are-naturally-flawed-when-it-comes-to-time-and-memory/) [Kristen Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-britain/) ## More by Paul Auster > [“On his best walks, he was able to feel that he was nowhere. And this, finally, was all he ever asked of things: to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/on-his-best-walks-he-was-able-to-feel-that-he-was-nowhere-and-this/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [“No es que escribir me produzca un gran placer, pero es mucho peor si no lo hago.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/no-es-que-escribir-me-produzca-un-gran-placer-pero-es-mucho-peor-si/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [You see, the interesting thing about books, as opposed, say, to films, is that it's always just one person encountering the book, it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/you-see-the-interesting-thing-about-books-as-opposed-say-to-films-is/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [I'm not a man deeply interested in technology. It eludes me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/i-m-not-a-man-deeply-interested-in-technology-it-eludes-me/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [The joke is the purest, most essential form of storytelling. Every word has to count.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/the-joke-is-the-purest-most-essential-form-of-storytelling-every-word/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [“What people saw when he appeared before them, then, was not really him, but a person he had invented, an artificial creature he could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/what-people-saw-when-he-appeared-before-them-then-was-not-really-him/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [I had made an empirical discovery and it carried all the weight of a mathematical proof.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/i-had-made-an-empirical-discovery-and-it-carried-all-the-weight-of-a/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [As long as there's one person to believe it, there's no story that can't be true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/as-long-as-there-s-one-person-to-believe-it-there-s-no-story-that-can/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [Writing has always had a tactile quality for me. It's a physical experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/writing-has-always-had-a-tactile-quality-for-me-it-s-a-physical/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [People look at the same passage, and one person will say this is the best thing he's ever read, and another person will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/people-look-at-the-same-passage-and-one-person-will-say-this-is-the/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [I was very moved to see that the name of the boat was Hamlet - an imaginary character becomes so important to people, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/i-was-very-moved-to-see-that-the-name-of-the-boat-was-hamlet-an/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [Our lifelong certainties about the world can be demolished in a single second.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/our-lifelong-certainties-about-the-world-can-be-demolished-in-a/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [The ideal reader's the same, and I suppose this person has never had a face or a gender or an age. It's just some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/the-ideal-reader-s-the-same-and-i-suppose-this-person-has-never-had-a/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [“Most lives vanish. A person dies, and little by little all traces of that life disappear. An inventor survives in his inventions, an architect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/most-lives-vanish-a-person-dies-and-little-by-little-all-traces-of/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [“and cut down many trees. When the Humans”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/and-cut-down-many-trees-when-the-humans/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) [Explore all 582 Paul Auster quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) ## More Memory quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [“Maybe there is something when it all ends. Maybe there is memory, memory of the person you loved, when you lived. Maybe this is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-ellison/maybe-there-is-something-when-it-all-ends-maybe-there-is-memory/) [Kate Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-ellison/) > [In literature and art memory is a synonym for invention. It is the life-blood of imagination, which faints and dies when the veins are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-aris-willmott/in-literature-and-art-memory-is-a-synonym-for-invention-it-is-the/) [Robert Aris Willmott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-aris-willmott/) > [Memory is funny. Once you hit a vein the problem is not how to remember but how to control the flow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-wolff/memory-is-funny-once-you-hit-a-vein-the-problem-is-not-how-to/) [Tobias Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-wolff/) > [Once upon a time. Ah forget it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/once-upon-a-time-ah-forget-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am told many children block out the memory of trauma. In fact, the healing process can only truly begin when we are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-stone/i-am-told-many-children-block-out-the-memory-of-trauma-in-fact-the/) [Phoebe Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-stone/) > [“The whole town rushed outside to celebrate this crowded minute when the time of suffering had ended and the time of forgetting had not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/the-whole-town-rushed-outside-to-celebrate-this-crowded-minute-when/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [I have a memory like an elephant. I remember every elephant I've ever met.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-caen/i-have-a-memory-like-an-elephant-i-remember-every-elephant-i-ve-ever/) [Herb Caen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-caen/) > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [My first Olympics memory was watching Haile Gebrselassie in Sydney 2000. His sprint finish to defend his title really moved me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mo-farah/my-first-olympics-memory-was-watching-haile-gebrselassie-in-sydney/) [Mo Farah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mo-farah/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [My greatest memories as a kid were playing sports with my dad and watching sports with my dad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-teixeira/my-greatest-memories-as-a-kid-were-playing-sports-with-my-dad-and/) [Mark Teixeira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-teixeira/) > [What’s the use of remembering anything? If it was unpleasant it was unpleasant and if it was pleasant it’s over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-dundy/what-s-the-use-of-remembering-anything-if-it-was-unpleasant-it-was/) [Elaine Dundy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-dundy/) > [Always remember a little thing can change everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/always-remember-a-little-thing-can-change-everything/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If God knows me I will never forget him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trunxbeats/if-god-knows-me-i-will-never-forget-him/) [Trunxbeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trunxbeats/) [Browse all 12,248 Memory quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He realized that for Ponge there was no division between the work of writing and the work of seeing. 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