--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The poet Marianne Moore famously wrote of…" description: "\"The poet Marianne Moore famously wrote of 'real toads in imaginary gardens,' and the labyrinth offers us the possibility of being real creatures in sym..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33e/rebecca-solnit-569_being-real_the-poet-marianne-moore-famously-wrote-o_2082088.png" --- # The poet Marianne Moore famously wrote of 'real toads in… ![“The poet Marianne Moore famously wrote of 'real toads in imaginary gardens,' and the labyrinth offers us the possibility of being real creatures in symbolic space...In such spaces as the labyrinth we cross over [between real and imaginary spaces]; we are really travelling, even if the destination…” quote by Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33e/rebecca-solnit-569_being-real_the-poet-marianne-moore-famously-wrote-o_2082088.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33e/rebecca-solnit-569_being-real_the-poet-marianne-moore-famously-wrote-o_2082088.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33e/rebecca-solnit-569_being-real_the-poet-marianne-moore-famously-wrote-o_2082088.png) > “The poet Marianne Moore famously wrote of 'real toads in imaginary gardens,' and the labyrinth offers us the possibility of being real creatures in symbolic space...In such spaces as the labyrinth we cross over \[between real and imaginary spaces\]; we are really travelling, even if the destination is only symbolic.” [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The labyrinth symbolizes a bridge between tangible reality and imagination, allowing us to experience authentic existence within symbolic realms. **In simple terms:** Labyrinths let us be real in imagined spaces. Key Takeaway Embrace symbolic journeys to discover authentic self. Themes identity symbolism journey creativity Mood reflective inquisitive creative Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - urban planning - art installations - personal meditation - creative writing Key Concepts phenomenology spatial metaphor self‑discovery Questions to Reflect On - How does navigating symbolic spaces affect real‑world decisions? - What does “real” mean in imagined contexts? A Different Perspective Symbolic spaces may feel detached from practical outcomes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-real/) [Creatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creatures/) [Crosses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crosses/) [Destination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destination/) [Garden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/garden/) [Imaginary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginary/) [Imaginary Gardens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginary-gardens-2457385/) [Imaginary Spaces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imaginary-spaces-4071486/) [Labyrinth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/labyrinth/) [Offers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/offers/) [Poet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poet/) [Poetry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poetry/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real Imaginary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-imaginary-288181/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Spaces Labyrinth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spaces-labyrinth-4071487/) [Symbolic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/symbolic/) [Toads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toads/) [Toads Imaginary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toads-imaginary-4071485/) ## Related quotes > [... imaginary gardens with real toads in them ... ... if you demand on one hand, the raw material of poetry in all its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-moore/imaginary-gardens-with-real-toads-in-them-if-you-demand-on-one-hand/) [Marianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-moore/) > [Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-moore/poetry-is-the-art-of-creating-imaginary-gardens-with-real-toads/) [Marianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-moore/) > [ “\[Marianne Moore's definition of genuine poetry\] -- Imaginary gardens with real toads in them.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-moore/marianne-moore-s-definition-of-genuine-poetry-imaginary-gardens-with/) [Marianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-moore/) > [“Life is a complex with real and imaginary parts”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-suba-natarajan/life-is-a-complex-with-real-and-imaginary-parts/) [Angela Suba Natarajan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-suba-natarajan/) > [It’s strange how dreams get under your skin and give your heart a test for what’s real and what’s imaginary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-mraz/it-s-strange-how-dreams-get-under-your-skin-and-give-your-heart-a/) [Jason Mraz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-mraz/) > [Art is real and imaginary, two worlds rolled into one - the fulfillment of the artist's insatiable soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-j-fraughton/art-is-real-and-imaginary-two-worlds-rolled-into-one-the-fulfillment/) [Edward J. Fraughton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-j-fraughton/) > [“The distinction between what is real and what is imaginary is not one that can be finally maintained...all existing things are, in an intelligible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-distinction-between-what-is-real-and-what-is-imaginary-is-not-one-2/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [From the first time I saw you I knew I was going to have real and/or imaginary sex with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/from-the-first-time-i-saw-you-i-knew-i-was-going-to-have-real-and-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are two kinds of Arctic problems, the imaginary and the real. Of the two, the imaginary are the most real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilhjalmur-stefansson/there-are-two-kinds-of-arctic-problems-the-imaginary-and-the-real-of/) [Vilhjalmur Stefansson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vilhjalmur-stefansson/) > [“Up till a minute ago it felt so real, but now it seems imaginary. Just a few steps is all it takes for everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/up-till-a-minute-ago-it-felt-so-real-but-now-it-seems-imaginary-just/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Books are like magic carpets, taking us to places real and imaginary that we never thought possible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/books-are-like-magic-carpets-taking-us-to-places-real-and-imaginary/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I like to mix the real and the imaginary. Sometimes it is characters inspired by real people I know or know of. Sometimes it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-spiotta/i-like-to-mix-the-real-and-the-imaginary-sometimes-it-is-characters/) [Dana Spiotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-spiotta/) > [The distinction between what is real and what is imaginary is not one that can be finely maintained ... all existing thing are ... imaginary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-braden/the-distinction-between-what-is-real-and-what-is-imaginary-is-not-one/) [Gregg Braden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-braden/) > [Some things can be both real and imaginary at the same time, . . . some lies can be true, . . . broken faith may be restored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanne-harris/some-things-can-be-both-real-and-imaginary-at-the-same-time-some-lies/) [Joanne Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanne-harris/) > [Neither the true nor the false roots are always real; sometimes they are imaginary; that is, while we can always imagine as many roots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-descartes/neither-the-true-nor-the-false-roots-are-always-real-sometimes-they/) [Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-descartes/) ## More by Rebecca Solnit > [“Georgia O’Keeffe moved to rural New Mexico, from which she would sign her letters to the people she loved, “from the faraway nearby.” It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/georgia-o-keeffe-moved-to-rural-new-mexico-from-which-she-would-sign/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [Joy doesn't betray but sustains activism. And when you face a politics that aspires to make you fearful, alienated and isolated, joy is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/joy-doesn-t-betray-but-sustains-activism-and-when-you-face-a-politics/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“To love someone is to put yourself in their place, we say, which is to put ourself in their story, or figure out how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/to-love-someone-is-to-put-yourself-in-their-place-we-say-which-is-to/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“People have always been good at imagining the end of the world, which is much easier to picture than the strange sidelong paths of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/people-have-always-been-good-at-imagining-the-end-of-the-world-which/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Whose maps are we trying to read? And what are we trying to draw? It's so common to live in a place without truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/whose-maps-are-we-trying-to-read-and-what-are-we-trying-to-draw-it-s/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“I was being cured of soldiering on endlessly: my job was now to be still, which had become almost easy at last.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/i-was-being-cured-of-soldiering-on-endlessly-my-job-was-now-to-be/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [In the aftermath of 9/11, people had not a good time, but a deep, profound, rousing time, woke up from their ennui and isolation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/in-the-aftermath-of-9-11-people-had-not-a-good-time-but-a-deep/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“I wonder now about Demeter and Persephone. Maybe Persephone was glad to run off with the king of death to his underground realm, maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/i-wonder-now-about-demeter-and-persephone-maybe-persephone-was-glad/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [ \[In mountaineering, if\] we look for private experience rather than public history, even getting to the top becomes an optional narrative rather than the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/in-mountaineering-if-we-look-for-private-experience-rather-than/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [For me, being in a car or on an airplane is like being in limbo. It's this dead zone between two places. But to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/for-me-being-in-a-car-or-on-an-airplane-is-like-being-in-limbo-it-s/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“How do you calculate upon the unforeseen? It seems to be an art of recognizing the role of the unforeseen, of keeping your balance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/how-do-you-calculate-upon-the-unforeseen-it-seems-to-be-an-art-of/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [Walking shares with making and working that crucial element of engagement of the body and the mind with the world, of knowing the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/walking-shares-with-making-and-working-that-crucial-element-of/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Marriage equality is a threat: to inequality. It’s a boon to everyone who values and benefits from equality. It’s for all of us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/marriage-equality-is-a-threat-to-inequality-it-s-a-boon-to-everyone/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“Mountaineering is always spoken of as though summiting is conquest, but as you get higher, the world gets bigger, and you feel smaller in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/mountaineering-is-always-spoken-of-as-though-summiting-is-conquest/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) > [“A procession is a participants' journey, while a parade is a performance with an audience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/a-procession-is-a-participants-journey-while-a-parade-is-a/) [Rebecca Solnit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) [Explore all 469 Rebecca Solnit quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/) ## More Being real quotes > [Don't be in such a hurry to condemn a person because she doesn't do what you do, or think as you think or as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcom-x/don-t-be-in-such-a-hurry-to-condemn-a-person-because-she-doesn-t-do/) [Malcom X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcom-x/) > [Well, I don't want to be king, I want to be real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lennon/well-i-don-t-want-to-be-king-i-want-to-be-real/) [John Lennon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lennon/) > [Going through unknown people's profiles and judging them by their pictures is totally normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pradeep-chandra/going-through-unknown-people-s-profiles-and-judging-them-by-their/) [Pradeep Chandra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pradeep-chandra/) > [When you are important to another person, they will always find a way to make time for you - no excuses, no lies, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-are-important-to-another-person-they-will-always-find-a-way/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you speak the truth watch the fuck niggas start hating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-speak-the-truth-watch-the-fuck-niggas-start-hating/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I think about everyone in my life that was harsh with me or who gave me tough love and told me things that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlamagne-tha-god/i-think-about-everyone-in-my-life-that-was-harsh-with-me-or-who-gave/) [Charlamagne Tha God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlamagne-tha-god/) > [Laugh at every mistakes and realize that no one is perfect. We are human. All of us are imperfect, so there's no point judging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/laugh-at-every-mistakes-and-realize-that-no-one-is-perfect-we-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Give yourself a chance to live because nobody will live it for you when you die](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/give-yourself-a-chance-to-live-because-nobody-will-live-it-for-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You've noticed a change huh ? She doesn't text you as often . She never calls you anymore . 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I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-carroll/i-learned-a-tremendous-amount-about-what-was-important-to-me-as-a/) [Pete Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-carroll/) > [Im loving you not because you're giving me what I need, Instead I'm loving you because you're giving me this feeling I never thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/im-loving-you-not-because-you-re-giving-me-what-i-need-instead-i-m/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [Be who you want to be, not what people want to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-who-you-want-to-be-not-what-people-want-to-see/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There should be in eloquence that which is pleasing and that which is real; but that which is pleasing should itself be real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaise-pascal/there-should-be-in-eloquence-that-which-is-pleasing-and-that-which-is/) [Blaise Pascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaise-pascal/) [Browse all 1,607 Being real quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-real/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The poet Marianne Moore famously wrote of 'real toads in imaginary gardens,' and the labyrinth offers us the possibility of being real creatures in symbolic space...In such spaces as the labyrinth we cross over [between real and imaginary spaces]; we are really travelling, even if the destination is only symbolic.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rebecca Solnit" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/the-poet-marianne-moore-famously-wrote-of-real-toads-in-imaginary/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being real" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/the-poet-marianne-moore-famously-wrote-of-real-toads-in-imaginary/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33e/rebecca-solnit-569_being-real_the-poet-marianne-moore-famously-wrote-o_2082088.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33e/rebecca-solnit-569_being-real_the-poet-marianne-moore-famously-wrote-o_2082088.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33e/rebecca-solnit-569_being-real_the-poet-marianne-moore-famously-wrote-o_2082088.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The poet Marianne Moore famously wrote of 'real toads in imaginary gardens,' and the labyrinth offers us the…” — Rebecca Solnit", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rebecca Solnit", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-solnit/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The poet Marianne Moore famously wrote...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/the-poet-marianne-moore-famously-wrote-of-real-toads-in-imaginary/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-solnit/the-poet-marianne-moore-famously-wrote-of-real-toads-in-imaginary/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```