"The poet knows himself only on the condition that things resound in him, and that in him, at a single awakening, they and he come forth together out of sleep"

This quote by Jacques Maritain speaks with the concept that a poet can just genuinely understand themselves when they are in tune with the world around them. The poet must be open to the noises and experiences of the world, allowing them to resonate within them. This resonance is what permits the poet to awaken and come to a greater understanding of themselves. It is only through this connection to the world that the poet can really familiarize themselves. Maritain's quote talks to the concept that the poet need to be open to the world around them in order to genuinely understand themselves. It is just through this connection that the poet can concern a higher understanding of themselves and their location worldwide.