Imagination Quote by Stephen Burt
““Stephen Burt is Professor of English at Harvard. "Butterfly with Parachute" Stephen Burt A real one wouldn’t need one, but the one Nathan draws surely does: four oblongs the size and color of popsicles, green apple, toasted coconut and grape, flanked, two per side, by billowing valentine hearts, in a frame of Scotch tape. Alive, it could stay off the floor for a few unaerodynamic minutes; thrown as a paper airplane, for a few more. Very sensibly, therefore, our son gave it something, not to keep it apart from the ground forever, but rather to make safe its descent. When we ask that imagination discover the limits of the real world only slowly, maybe this is what we meant.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: “Butterfly with Parachute” Stephen Burt, 2012
Imagination stretches reality’s limits; playful inventions reveal deeper truths about safety and freedom.
In simple terms: Imagination tests real‑world boundaries.
Key Takeaway
Let curiosity guide experimental thinking.
Themes
creativity
imagination
freedom
Mood
playful
thought‑provoking
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- education
- design thinking
- product development
- childhood play
Key Concepts
philosophy of art
cognitive science
Questions to Reflect On
- How can imagination improve problem‑solving?
- When does imagination become escapism?
A Different Perspective
May blur line between fantasy and practicality.
![“Because of some defect in my motor skill, I can never COMPLETELY wrap [gifts]…If I had been an ancient Egyptian in the field of mummies, the lower half of the Pharaoh's body would be covered only by scotch tape.” quote by Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9a8/dave-barry-222_ancient_because-of-some-defect-in-my-motor-skill_962767.jpg)
