"Like a French poem is life; being only perfect in structure when with the masculine rhymes mingled the feminine are"
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
About this Quote
This quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a metaphor comparing life to a French poem. He is suggesting that life is just ideal when it is balanced in between masculine and feminine components. This might be analyzed in many ways, such as the balance in between work and leisure, or the balance in between independence and dependence on others. It might likewise be interpreted as the balance in between manly and feminine energy, or the balance between masculine and womanly functions in society. Longfellow is suggesting that life is just best when these two elements are in harmony. He is emphasizing the importance of balance in life, and how it can result in a more fulfilling and meaningful existence. This quote is a reminder that life is not just about accomplishing success, however also about finding balance and harmony in all elements of life.
"Of the individual poems, some are more lyric and some are more descriptive or narrative. Each poem is fixed in a moment. All those moments written or read together take on the movement and architecture of a narrative"
"The heart of the matter seems to me to be the direct interaction between one's making a poem in English and a poem in the language that one understands and values. I don't see how you can do it otherwise"
"The point of an experiment is not to arrive at a predetermined end point, to prove or disprove anything, but to deliver a poem that reveals much about the process taken"
"Our moments of inspiration are not lost though we have no particular poem to show for them; for those experiences have left an indelible impression, and we are ever and anon reminded of them"
"The figure a poem makes. It begins in delight and ends in wisdom... in a clarification of life - not necessarily a great clarification, such as sects and cults are founded on, but in a momentary stay against confusion"