Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things.
–T.S. Eliot
A Mindful Life / Kathryn Harper
express : discover : renew : create
our emotions are our guides through this life. listen to what they tell you, and there will be no need to escape.
Oh, I think a short escape would be a relief from time to time. TS Eliot was a jerk, but he wrote some beautiful things in spite of himself.
I’ve always viewed writing as a form of escape, a way to simultaneously run away from the world and myself, and into it/me. Writing is still the easiest way for me to disassociate. I can be a room full of people and be completely utterly alone and unaware of that clamor if I’m writing. It’s weird how writing has always made me feel such a sense of complete disconnect and connect with the world.
Thanks for posting this quote, K. I’ve been trying to escape myself my whole life but when I cease writing I find I’m still right here. (sigh)
ponder this… the emotions you feel when you write are pleasing for you, if this is so, one should do it more, and anything else that pleases the soul. When you are having unpleasant emotions, or feelings, stop and ask what thought, or action is causing this. Then turn your attention to something that pleases you. Your personality is the sum of what you think about, change how you think, change your life, change your personality. Death is the only escape, and we are all here because we chose to be… what is the hurry to leave? Define yourself, don’t leave this to someone else.
Whaaaaaaaaat???????? This guy a drug addict or something?
I guess what I mean is that, as with most “quotes,” out of context they just sound daffy to me.
And I don’t know anything about poetry.