"The world is a bridge. You never have to cross it more than once."
This quote by Alice Oswald suggests that life is a single, unrepeatable journey. The "world" or life, in this context, is a passage or a bridge one must traverse only once. It's a reminder that we have one chance to live our lives, and the experiences we gather during our passage through life are irreplaceable and unique. Embracing this perspective encourages us to cherish each moment and make the most of every opportunity.
"To love and be loved in return is a simple and profound happiness."
This quote by Alice Oswald expresses that receiving mutual affection, or love, brings forth a basic and profound joy. It suggests that the act of loving another and being loved back creates a happy, satisfying experience, rooted in its simplicity and depth.
"But I do not think that a river can suffer."
The quote suggests that rivers, as non-human entities, may not possess the capacity to experience suffering in the way humans or other sentient beings do. Instead, the speaker implies a deeper understanding of nature's processes as intrinsic parts of the universe that don't have emotions or pain in the same way humans do. It highlights an appreciation for the beauty and resilience of rivers as they flow through life's constantly changing landscape.
"The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it goes."
This quote by Alice Oswald encapsulates the mysteries and unpredictabilities of life, much like the wind's direction is unforeseeable. It suggests that although we may be aware of certain phenomena (like hearing the sound of the wind) or aspects of our lives, we can never fully comprehend their origins or ultimate destinations. This insight underscores our limitations in understanding the intricate workings and interconnections within ourselves, others, and the universe.
"I am not the first to have stood here before, nor will I be the last."
This quote by Alice Oswald suggests a sense of continuity and connection across time. The speaker acknowledges their place as part of an ongoing lineage, standing where countless others have stood before them, and anticipates that they will not be the only one to occupy this spot in the future. It underscores the idea of shared human experiences and our inherent link to the past and future.
Webs are made mostly of spaces. They break easily. They barely exist. They belong to the category of half-things: mist, smoke, shrouds, ghosts, membranes, retinas or rags; and they quickly fill up with un-things: old legs and wings and heads and hollow abdomens and body bags of wasps.
- Alice Oswald
If you bend a branch until it's horizontal, the sap will slow to a stopping point: a comma or colon, made of leaves grown into one another and over one another and hardened. Out of this pause comes a flower, which unfolds itself in spirals, as if the leaf form, unable to keep to its line, had begun to pivot.
- Alice Oswald
One night, I lay awake for hours, just terrified. When the dawn finally came up - the comfortable blue sky, the familiar world returning - I could think of no other way to express my relief than through poetry. I made a decision there and then that it was what I wanted to do. Every time I pulled a wishbone, it was what I asked for.
- Alice Oswald
Stripped of its plot, the 'Iliad' is a scattering of names and biographies of ordinary soldiers: men who trip over their shields, lose their courage or miss their wives. In addition to these, there is a cast of anonymous people: the farmers, walkers, mothers, neighbours who inhabit its similes.
- Alice Oswald
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