Photo by Skype Nomad on Flickr
“He lives the poetry that he cannot write. The others write the poetry that they dare not realise.”
- Oscar Wilde
I just came across this quote, and it really struck me.
I think Wilde is saying that for some of us, life is our art – living is where our talent lies, rather than in creating art of another sort – while other people are better at living through their art.
Is it really an either/or proposition?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
don’t know if it’s an either/or proposition, though i like your take on the quote. i would probably fall into the first category of your understanding.
i wonder if he’s also commenting on how we approach boldness in life. i’m a nervous flier and kinda clausterphobic, so a trip to outerspace is out of the question. but i could probably be inspired to write about how much i love the stars and would love to float among them. i’m sure there are daredevils out there who could pursue that adventure much better than articulating or expressing their desire for it. just something i’m thinking.
Interesting… imagining experiences we wouldn’t “dare” experience. I think that a lot of the time, though, imagining an experience is how we prepare ourselves to actually pursue it…and, the act of imagination can be daring in and of itself.