Notable quotes, excerpts, and profound lines. - Page 248

bfisher · 09-03-2017, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

"For the first time in 4 billion years a living creature had contemplated himself and heard with a sudden, unaccountable loneliness, the whisper of wind in the night reeds."
- Loren Eiseley
(from The Dream Animal, The Immense Journey)

kennyc · 09-03-2017, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfisher

I Love Eiseley! He's so poetic in his writings on Science and Life.

His book (my favorite of his works) 'The Immense Journey' should be required reading!

bfisher · 09-03-2017, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyc

I Love Eiseley! He's so poetic in his writings on Science and Life.

His book (my favorite of his works) 'The Immense Journey' should be required reading!

I haven't read anything by him yet, but he looks quite interesting. Thanks.

issybird · 09-03-2017, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfisher

Waugh must have been a joy as a traveling companion

...or any kind of companion!

bfisher · 09-03-2017, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

...or any kind of companion!

The great thing about writers is that one can enjoy their art without direct exposure to their persons.

kennyc · 09-03-2017, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bfisher

The great thing about writers is that one can enjoy their art without direct exposure to their persons.

ROTFL! So True, there are some real A$$holes that do some d*mned amazing work!

I won't name names....

astrangerhere · 09-03-2017, 03:44 PM

It was 60F this morning when I went out for my walk, and this was brought to mind.

"The Falling of the Leaves" by William Butler Yeats

Quote:

Autumn is over the long leaves that love us,
And over the mice in the barley sheaves;
Yellow the leaves of the rowan above us,
And yellow the wet wild-strawberry leaves.

The hour of the waning of love has beset us,
And weary and worn are our sad souls now;
Let us part, ere the season of passion forget us,
With a kiss and a tear on thy drooping brow.

kennyc · 09-03-2017, 03:47 PM

Love it!

astrangerhere · 09-04-2017, 10:20 AM

"The New Higher"

John Ashbery

You meant more than life to me. I lived through
you not knowing, not knowing I was living.
I learned that you called for me. I came to where
you were living, up a stair. There was no one there.
No one to appreciate me. The legality of it
upset a chair. Many times to celebrate
we were called together and where
we had been there was nothing there,
nothing that is anywhere. We passed obliquely,
leaving no stare. When the sun was done muttering,
in an optimistic way, it was time to leave that there.

Blithely passing in and out of where, blushing shyly
at the tag on the overcoat near the window where
the outside crept away, I put aside the there and now.
Now it was time to stumble anew,
blacking out when time came in the window.
There was not much of it left.
I laughed and put my hands shyly
across your eyes. Can you see now?
Yes I can see I am only in the where
where the blossoming stream takes off, under your window.
Go presently you said. Go from my window.
I am in love with your window I cannot undermine
it, I said.

issybird · 09-04-2017, 10:58 AM

" '...if he could induce others to believe what he said, then for him the statement acquired some degree of truth, a reflection of their belief that it was true; and this reflected truth might grow stronger with time and repetition until it became conviction, indistinguishable from ordinary factual truth, or very nearly so.' "

― Patrick O'Brian, The Thirteen-Gun Salute

kennyc · 09-04-2017, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

"The New Higher"

John Ashbery

You meant more than life to me. I lived through
you not knowing, not knowing I was living.
I learned that you called for me. I came to where
you were living, up a stair. There was no one there.
No one to appreciate me. The legality of it
upset a chair. Many times to celebrate
we were called together and where
we had been there was nothing there,
nothing that is anywhere. We passed obliquely,
leaving no stare. When the sun was done muttering,
in an optimistic way, it was time to leave that there.

Blithely passing in and out of where, blushing shyly
at the tag on the overcoat near the window where
the outside crept away, I put aside the there and now.
Now it was time to stumble anew,
blacking out when time came in the window.
There was not much of it left.
I laughed and put my hands shyly
across your eyes. Can you see now?
Yes I can see I am only in the where
where the blossoming stream takes off, under your window.
Go presently you said. Go from my window.
I am in love with your window I cannot undermine
it, I said.

Yes! Thank you! Mr. Ashbery!

covingtoncat73 · 09-06-2017, 04:21 PM

"Erra-imitti, king of the city-state of Isin in southern Iraq from 1868 to 1861 B.C., died 'after having sipped a broth that was too hot' while his substitute was still alive. So the substitute king, a gardener named Enlil-bani, continued to rule Isin until 1837 B.C."
~From "The Solar Eclipse and the Substitute King" at metmuseum.org

bfisher · 09-07-2017, 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by issybird

" '...if he could induce others to believe what he said, then for him the statement acquired some degree of truth, a reflection of their belief that it was true; and this reflected truth might grow stronger with time and repetition until it became conviction, indistinguishable from ordinary factual truth, or very nearly so.' "

― Patrick O'Brian, The Thirteen-Gun Salute

Yes!

The corollary of the Big Lie:
"All this was inspired by the principle—which is quite true within itself—that in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods.
It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously. Even though the facts which prove this to be so may be brought clearly to their minds, they will still doubt and waver and will continue to think that there may be some other explanation. For the grossly impudent lie always leaves traces behind it, even after it has been nailed down, a fact which is known to all expert liars in this world and to all who conspire together in the art of lying." Hitler, Mein Kampf

badgoodDeb · 09-07-2017, 01:33 PM

Wow.....

AlexBell · 09-08-2017, 10:57 PM

'...The tiny space I occupy is so infinitely small in comparison with the rest of space, in which I am not, and which has nothing to do with me; and the period of time in which it is my lot to live is so petty beside the eternity in which I have not been, and shall not be...'

from Fathers and Children by Ivan Turgenev, translated by Constance Garnett.

09-04-2017, 10:20 AM	#3714
astrangerhere Professor of Law Posts: 3,755 Karma: 68428716 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Chapel Hill, NC Device: Kobo Elipsa, Kobo Libra H20, Kobo Aura One, KoboMini	RIP John Ashbery "The New Higher" John Ashbery You meant more than life to me. I lived through you not knowing, not knowing I was living. I learned that you called for me. I came to where you were living, up a stair. There was no one there. No one to appreciate me. The legality of it upset a chair. Many times to celebrate we were called together and where we had been there was nothing there, nothing that is anywhere. We passed obliquely, leaving no stare. When the sun was done muttering, in an optimistic way, it was time to leave that there. Blithely passing in and out of where, blushing shyly at the tag on the overcoat near the window where the outside crept away, I put aside the there and now. Now it was time to stumble anew, blacking out when time came in the window. There was not much of it left. I laughed and put my hands shyly across your eyes. Can you see now? Yes I can see I am only in the where where the blossoming stream takes off, under your window. Go presently you said. Go from my window. I am in love with your window I cannot undermine it, I said.

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09-03-2017, 03:47 PM	#3713
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,914 Karma: 119230421 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Love it!

09-04-2017, 10:58 AM	#3715
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 21,330 Karma: 234636059 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: Mini, H2O, Glo HD, Aura One, PW4, PW5	" '...if he could induce others to believe what he said, then for him the statement acquired some degree of truth, a reflection of their belief that it was true; and this reflected truth might grow stronger with time and repetition until it became conviction, indistinguishable from ordinary factual truth, or very nearly so.' " ― Patrick O'Brian, The Thirteen-Gun Salute

09-06-2017, 04:21 PM	#3717
covingtoncat73 Wizard Posts: 2,745 Karma: 83407757 Join Date: Mar 2011 Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Lenovo Duet Chromebook, Moto e	"Erra-imitti, king of the city-state of Isin in southern Iraq from 1868 to 1861 B.C., died 'after having sipped a broth that was too hot' while his substitute was still alive. So the substitute king, a gardener named Enlil-bani, continued to rule Isin until 1837 B.C." ~From "The Solar Eclipse and the Substitute King" at metmuseum.org

09-07-2017, 01:33 PM	#3719
badgoodDeb Grand Sorcerer Posts: 8,552 Karma: 64462893 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harrisburg outskirts Device: Palms, K1-4s, iPads, iPhones, KV, KO1	Wow.....

09-08-2017, 10:57 PM	#3720
AlexBell Wizard Posts: 3,413 Karma: 13369310 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Launceston, Tasmania Device: Sony PRS T3, Kobo Glo, Kindle Touch, iPad, Samsung SB 2 tablet	'...The tiny space I occupy is so infinitely small in comparison with the rest of space, in which I am not, and which has nothing to do with me; and the period of time in which it is my lot to live is so petty beside the eternity in which I have not been, and shall not be...' from Fathers and Children by Ivan Turgenev, translated by Constance Garnett.