---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Imagination is the real and eternal world…"
description: "\"Imagination is the real and eternal world of which this vegetable universe is but a faint shadow.\" — William Blake"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/william-blake-397_imagination_imagination-is-the-real-and-eternal-worl_25206.jpg"
---

#  Imagination is the real and eternal world of which this…

![“Imagination is the real and eternal world of which this vegetable universe is but a faint shadow.” quote by William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/william-blake-397_imagination_imagination-is-the-real-and-eternal-worl_25206.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/william-blake-397_imagination_imagination-is-the-real-and-eternal-worl_25206.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d97/william-blake-397_imagination_imagination-is-the-real-and-eternal-worl_25206.jpg)

> “Imagination is the real and eternal world of which this vegetable universe is but a faint shadow.”

[William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Imagination creates a timeless, substantive reality that transcends the fleeting material world.

**In simple terms:** Imagination surpasses physical reality.

Key Takeaway

Imagination is the true essence of existence.

Themes

metaphysics creativity perception reality spirituality

Mood

awe wonder mystery

Type

philosophical poetic

When to use this quote

- artistic inspiration
- philosophical contemplation
- scientific theorizing
- spiritual meditation
- creative problem solving

Key Concepts

mind universe illusion eternity

Practical Applications

- writing poetry
- designing innovative products

Questions to Reflect On

- What does it mean to live in the world of imagination?
- How can we balance imagination with practical concerns?

A Different Perspective

null

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[Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/)

## Related quotes

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> [The eternal world and the mortal world are not parallel, rather they are fused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-donohue/the-eternal-world-and-the-mortal-world-are-not-parallel-rather-they/)

[John O'Donohue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-donohue/)

> [“The Nature of Visionary Fancy or Imagination is very little Known & the Eternal nature & permanence of its ever Existent Images is considered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-dennis/the-nature-of-visionary-fancy-or-imagination-is-very-little-known-the/)

[Sandra Dennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-dennis/)

> [I wanted a heaven. And I grew up striving for that world-- an eternal world- that would wash away my temporary misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-thompson/i-wanted-a-heaven-and-i-grew-up-striving-for-that-world-an-eternal/)

[Craig Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-thompson/)

> [“I also mistakenly believed that the scariest stories came from imagination, not real life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/i-also-mistakenly-believed-that-the-scariest-stories-came-from/)

[Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/)

> [It would be easier for people to grasp that gender, sex, and sexual orientation are different things if we had as much imagination in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yance-ford/it-would-be-easier-for-people-to-grasp-that-gender-sex-and-sexual/)

[Yance Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yance-ford/)

> [Truths are more than imagination; they are real. Yet their origin is a thought in the mind of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/truths-are-more-than-imagination-they-are-real-yet-their-origin-is-a/)

[Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/)

> [“Children, brought up naturally and in freedom, not only have imagination, but live in a world of imagination more real to them than our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-hawthorne/children-brought-up-naturally-and-in-freedom-not-only-have/)

[Julian Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-hawthorne/)

> [If you create a visual that actually captures the imagination, that's not real. It will look real, and that will spread at such lightning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-levinson/if-you-create-a-visual-that-actually-captures-the-imagination-that-s/)

[Barry Levinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-levinson/)

> [“When I as reading and writing, I was in that exhilarating place where the life of the imagination is more real than the tiles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-lawrenson/when-i-as-reading-and-writing-i-was-in-that-exhilarating-place-where/)

[Deborah Lawrenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-lawrenson/)

> [The universe has a much greater imagination than we do, which is why the real story of the universe is far more interesting than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/the-universe-has-a-much-greater-imagination-than-we-do-which-is-why/)

[Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/)

> [His imagination was always more real than the reality of daily life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/his-imagination-was-always-more-real-than-the-reality-of-daily-life/)

[Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/)

> [As a teenager, my father took me to the shows at the Architectural Association and to places like Milton Keynes back when it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-heatherwick/as-a-teenager-my-father-took-me-to-the-shows-at-the-architectural/)

[Thomas Heatherwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-heatherwick/)

> [Your imagination is more real that then the world you see, because the world you see comes from what you imagine and believe! What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/your-imagination-is-more-real-that-then-the-world-you-see-because-the/)

[Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/)

> [ If you are to do justice to \[the great roles\], you must fly up to them - rather than dragging them down to you… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-guskin/if-you-are-to-do-justice-to-the-great-roles-you-must-fly-up-to-them/)

Harold Guskin

## More by William Blake

> [Poetry fettered, fetters the human race. Nations are destroyed or flourish in proportion as their poetry, painting, and music are destroyed or flourish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/poetry-fettered-fetters-the-human-race-nations-are-destroyed-or/)

[William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/)

> [Where any view of money exists, art cannot be carried on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/where-any-view-of-money-exists-art-cannot-be-carried-on/)

[William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/)

> [God only acts and is, in existing beings or men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/god-only-acts-and-is-in-existing-beings-or-men/)

[William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/)

> [Kill not the moth nor butterfly, For the Last Judgement draweth nigh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/kill-not-the-moth-nor-butterfly-for-the-last-judgement-draweth-nigh/)

[William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/)

> [The world of imagination is the world of eternity. It is the divine bosom into which we shall all go after death of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-world-of-imagination-is-the-world-of-eternity-it-is-the-divine/)

[William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/)

> [Painters are noted for being dissipated and wild.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/painters-are-noted-for-being-dissipated-and-wild/)

[William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/)

> [Time is the mercy of Eternity; without Time's swiftness Which is the swiftest of all things, all were eternal torment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/time-is-the-mercy-of-eternity-without-time-s-swiftness-which-is-the/)

[William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/)

> [The difference between a bad artist and a good one is: the bad artist seems to copy a great deal; the good one really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-difference-between-a-bad-artist-and-a-good-one-is-the-bad-artist/)

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> [Cruelty has a human heart, and jealousy a human face. Terror, the human form divine, And secrecy, the human dress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/cruelty-has-a-human-heart-and-jealousy-a-human-face-terror-the-human/)

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> [To generalize is to be an idiot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/to-generalize-is-to-be-an-idiot/)

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> [THE POISON TREE I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-poison-tree-i-was-angry-with-my-friend-i-told-my-wrath-my-wrath/)

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> [The bird a nest the spider a web the human friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-bird-a-nest-the-spider-a-web-the-human-friendship/)

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> [You become what you behold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/you-become-what-you-behold/)

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[Explore all 592 William Blake quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/)

## More Imagination quotes

> [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/)

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[Antoine de Saint-Exupery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-de-saint-exup-ry/)

> [Imagination is the greatest nation in the world!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/imagination-is-the-greatest-nation-in-the-world/)

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> [Life is what you make it¦If one refuses to use ones imagination..it will be boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-what-you-make-it-if-one-refuses-to-use-ones-imagination-it/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Jonah Lehrer is one of the most talented explainers of science that we’ve got. What a pleasure it is to follow his investigation of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-foer/jonah-lehrer-is-one-of-the-most-talented-explainers-of-science-that/)

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> [If you've got creativity, imagination, and intelligence, and you want to be hypnotised, then there's no reason you shouldn't be able to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-barry/if-you-ve-got-creativity-imagination-and-intelligence-and-you-want-to/)

[Keith Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-barry/)

> [“The power of imagination is strongest in the place of solitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/the-power-of-imagination-is-strongest-in-the-place-of-solitude/)

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> [I like fantasy, but I don't live and breathe fantasy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-schmidt-hissrich/i-like-fantasy-but-i-don-t-live-and-breathe-fantasy/)

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> [Edgy is fine - I'm not a prude by any stretch of the imagination - but what's wrong with a good ol' belly laugh?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-burnett/edgy-is-fine-i-m-not-a-prude-by-any-stretch-of-the-imagination-but/)

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[Browse all 9,060 Imagination quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/)

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