--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: PRELIMINARY EXERCISE: What does a turbine…" description: "\"“PRELIMINARY EXERCISE: What does a turbine veil? a bird avail what chord? I heard a bird whir no word, felt a turbine shadow turning from the floods of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/robert-duncan-49882_darkness_preliminary-exercise-what-does-a-turbine_2310815.jpg" --- # PRELIMINARY EXERCISE: What does a turbine veil? a bird… ![“PRELIMINARY EXERCISE: What does a turbine veil? a bird avail what chord? I heard a bird whir no word, felt a turbine shadow turning from the floods of time electric currents the darkness stirrd, and trees in blaze of light arose casting shadows of speech, seductive, musical, abroad. It was a…” quote by Robert Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/robert-duncan-49882_darkness_preliminary-exercise-what-does-a-turbine_2310815.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/robert-duncan-49882_darkness_preliminary-exercise-what-does-a-turbine_2310815.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c4d/robert-duncan-49882_darkness_preliminary-exercise-what-does-a-turbine_2310815.jpg) > ““PRELIMINARY EXERCISE: What does a turbine veil? a bird avail what chord? I heard a bird whir no word, felt a turbine shadow turning from the floods of time electric currents the darkness stirrd, and trees in blaze of light arose casting shadows of speech, seductive, musical, abroad. It was a single tree. It was a word of many trees that filld the vale. It was a store of the unspoken in the bird that whirrd the air, that every occasion of the word overawed.”” [Robert Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duncan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The poem blends natural imagery with abstract concepts, exploring the limits of language and perception. **In simple terms:** Language can’t fully capture experience. Key Takeaway Embrace mystery in expression. Themes language perception nature art mystery Mood enigmatic poetic Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - creative writing - art criticism - mindfulness practice - teaching poetry Key Concepts Symbolism phenomenology Questions to Reflect On - How does imagery shape your understanding of words? - What role does silence play in meaning? A Different Perspective Abstract language may alienate some readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bird Whir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird-whir-5488324/) [Bird Whirrd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird-whirrd-5488323/) [Darkness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Shadows Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadows-speech-5488321/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) [Turbine Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turbine-shadow-5488320/) [Turbine Veil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turbine-veil-5488322/) ## Related quotes > [I loved the game so much that even though our playing field was muddy and we had many trees on it, I used to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-clemente/i-loved-the-game-so-much-that-even-though-our-playing-field-was-muddy/) [Roberto Clemente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-clemente/) > [During my first years in the Sierra, I was ever calling on everybody within reach to admire them, but I found no one half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/during-my-first-years-in-the-sierra-i-was-ever-calling-on-everybody/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [You never quite know what you do in life that leaves a seed behind that grows into an oak tree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/you-never-quite-know-what-you-do-in-life-that-leaves-a-seed-behind/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [I liked climbing trees and could often be found up one reading a book. I played games with Dad and drew maps for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhianna-pratchett/i-liked-climbing-trees-and-could-often-be-found-up-one-reading-a-book/) [Rhianna Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhianna-pratchett/) > [Meanwhile, the trees were just as green as before; the birds sang and the sun shone as clearly now as ever. 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What this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-swimme/a-tree-is-a-self-it-is-unseen-shaping-more-than-it-is-leaves-or-bark/) [Brian Swimme](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-swimme/) > [“Sitting at the old patio table she’d cleared of leaves, she smiled and leaned back. The stars looked twisted in the limbs of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-addison-allen/sitting-at-the-old-patio-table-she-d-cleared-of-leaves-she-smiled-and/) [Sarah Addison Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-addison-allen/) > [Sometimes it's about less is more. It's about the seed. Thinking about this gigantic tree that you think is so beautiful but it started…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-durst/sometimes-it-s-about-less-is-more-it-s-about-the-seed-thinking-about/) [Fred Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-durst/) > [He removed several pages of death certificates, which were picked up by another breeze and sent into the trees. Some would fall with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/he-removed-several-pages-of-death-certificates-which-were-picked-up/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) ## More by Robert Duncan > [There is no dispute that judges need a pay raise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-duncan/there-is-no-dispute-that-judges-need-a-pay-raise/) [Robert Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duncan/) > [“You have carried a branch of tomorrow into the room-its frangrance awakened me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-duncan/you-have-carried-a-branch-of-tomorrow-into-the-room-its-frangrance/) [Robert Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duncan/) > [The formation of glass from the melting is like starting a clock. It resets the time for us to determine billions of years later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-duncan/the-formation-of-glass-from-the-melting-is-like-starting-a-clock-it/) [Robert Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duncan/) > [Unfortunately, we haven't found many very old rocks on Earth because our planet's surface is constantly renewed by plate tectonics, coupled with erosion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-duncan/unfortunately-we-haven-t-found-many-very-old-rocks-on-earth-because/) [Robert Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duncan/) > [The devout have laid out gardens in the desert.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-duncan/the-devout-have-laid-out-gardens-in-the-desert/) [Robert Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duncan/) > [If the government is going to mandate levels and punish schools for failing, they should send that money to the school system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-duncan/if-the-government-is-going-to-mandate-levels-and-punish-schools-for/) [Robert Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duncan/) [Explore all 7 Robert Duncan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-duncan/) ## More Darkness quotes > [“Narrative cannot sustain formlessness any more than light can sustain darkness - it is the antithesis of formlessness, and so it can never truly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/narrative-cannot-sustain-formlessness-any-more-than-light-can-sustain/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [“Wait here, wait here!" he cried and jumped up and began to run for help toward a cluster of lights he saw in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flannery-o-connor/wait-here-wait-here-he-cried-and-jumped-up-and-began-to-run-for-help/) [Flannery O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flannery-o-connor/) > [Strange - is it not? That of the myriads who Before us passed the door of Darkness through, Not one returns to tell us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/strange-is-it-not-that-of-the-myriads-who-before-us-passed-the-door/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [Clear moments are so short. There is much more darkness. More ocean than terra firma. More shadow than form.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-zagajewski/clear-moments-are-so-short-there-is-much-more-darkness-more-ocean/) [Adam Zagajewski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-zagajewski/) > [I even see the cinema itself as a woman, with its alternation of light and darkness, of appearing and disappearing images](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-fellini/i-even-see-the-cinema-itself-as-a-woman-with-its-alternation-of-light/) [Federico Fellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-fellini/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“I promise to respect and protect your aloneness, knowing that everything created must have its period of darkness: child and bulb, poem and personality.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/i-promise-to-respect-and-protect-your-aloneness-knowing-that/) [anne morrow lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [The beauty of darkness is how it lets you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/the-beauty-of-darkness-is-how-it-lets-you-see/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [“Even in darkness your lips taste of sunshine”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francesca-lia-block/even-in-darkness-your-lips-taste-of-sunshine/) [Francesca Lia Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francesca-lia-block/) > [“Defy me not for gleam can only shine in my existence" said Darkness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/defy-me-not-for-gleam-can-only-shine-in-my-existence-said-darkness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“What does he look like? The question was soft- tentative. I knew who he meant. I interlaced my fingers through Rhysand's and squeezed tightly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-j-maas/what-does-he-look-like-the-question-was-soft-tentative-i-knew-who-he/) [Sarah J. Maas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-j-maas/) > [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/) [Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/) > [“Life is like coffee, the darker it gets, the more it energizes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ankita-singhal/life-is-like-coffee-the-darker-it-gets-the-more-it-energizes/) [Ankita Singhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ankita-singhal/) > [Twinking tears in a sea of black. Soft light in a world of darkness. Tiny wishes in a place of dreams. Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/) [Nicole Gentile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-gentile/) [Browse all 8,219 Darkness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/darkness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“PRELIMINARY EXERCISE: What does a turbine veil? a bird avail what chord? I heard a bird whir no word, felt a turbine shadow turning from the floods of time electric currents the darkness stirrd, and trees in blaze of light arose casting shadows of speech, seductive, musical, abroad. It was a single tree. It was a word of many trees that filld the vale. 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