Active Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The statue is then beautiful when it begins to be incomprehensible, when it is passing out of criticism, and can no longer be defined by compass and measuring-wand, but demands an active imagination to go with it, and to say what it is in the act of doing.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: Self‑Reliance, 1841
Art becomes powerful when it defies analysis, inviting imagination rather than measurement.
In simple terms: When art is beyond critique, imagination must engage.
Embrace ambiguity in creative works.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- museum visits
- art criticism
- creative writing
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you respond to art that resists explanation?
- What does “active imagination” mean to you?
Some may find lack of definition confusing.