Different times Quote by Robert Aitken
““THE MOTHER SPARROW take ni iza / ume ni iza to ya / oya suzume Let’s be off to the bamboo, to the peach trees, says the mother sparrow. Issa was more than sympathetic. He felt an intimacy with the mother sparrow that relates to what John Keats must have felt when he wrote, “The setting sun will always set me to rights, and if a sparrow come before my window, I take part in its existence and peck about the gravel.”6 Issa and Keats lived in different times and in far distant cultures, yet unknowingly their relationship was mar velously close—as close as their relationship with the little birds was. LOOK””
About This Quote
Source Poem: “The Mother Sparrow” by Issa, translated by Robert Aitken, 1970s
The poet feels a deep kinship with a mother sparrow, reflecting how simple natural moments can connect us across cultures and time.
In simple terms: Nature can unite us beyond borders.
Key Takeaway
Seek simple moments of connection.
Themes
nature
connection
culture
empathy
Mood
contemplative
nostalgic
Type
poetic
reflective
When to use this quote
- birdwatching
- meditation
- writing
- cross‑cultural study
Key Concepts
interconnectedness
transcendence
symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- How do everyday animals shape your worldview?
- What does the sparrow symbolize for you?
A Different Perspective
May overlook personal struggles behind poetic symbolism.
![“I don't know if I call myself a poet or not. I would like to, but I'm not really qualified to make that decision, because I come in on such a back door, that I don't know what a Robert Frost or a [John] Keats or a T.S. Eliot would really think of my stuff.” quote by Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ca0/bob-dylan-168_back-doors_i-don-t-know-if-i-call-myself-a-poet-or_400356.jpg)
![“I've had my body manipulated so many different times for so many different reasons, whether it's paparazzi photographers or for film posters. [The topless Interview shoot] was one of the ones where I said: 'OK, I'm fine doing the topless shot so long as you don't make them any bigger or retouch.'…” quote by Keira Knightley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/982/keira-knightley-3384_battleground_i-ve-had-my-body-manipulated-so-many-dif_113510.jpg)
