Seamus Heaney, from “Squarings”
Seamus Heaney, from “Squarings” Seamus Heaney often said that, from his experience as a poet, one’s creative life followed three … Continue Reading Seamus Heaney, from “Squarings”
Seamus Heaney, from “Crossings”
Seamus Heaney, from “Crossings” Seamus Heaney often said that, from his experience as a poet, one’s creative life followed three … Continue Reading Seamus Heaney, from “Crossings”
Seamus Heaney, from “Settings”
Seamus Heaney, from “Settings” Seamus Heaney often said that, from his experience as a poet, one’s creative life followed three … Continue Reading Seamus Heaney, from “Settings”
Seamus Heaney, from “Lightenings”
Seamus Heaney, from “Lightenings” Seamus Heaney often said that, from his experience as a poet, one’s creative life followed three … Continue Reading Seamus Heaney, from “Lightenings”
H. D., “Oread”
H. D., “Oread” Whirl up, sea –whirl your pointed pines,splash your great pineson our rocks,hurl your green over us,cover us … Continue Reading H. D., “Oread”
H. D., “Orchard”
H. D., “Orchard” I saw the first pearas it fell –the honey-seeking, golden-banded,the yellow swarmwas not more fleet than I,(spare … Continue Reading H. D., “Orchard”
Amy Lowell, “Thompson’s Lunch Room—Grand Central Station”
Amy Lowell, “Thompson’s Lunch Room—Grand Central Station” STUDY IN WHITES Wax-white—Floor, ceiling, walls.Ivory shadowsOver the pavementPolished to cream surfacesBy constant … Continue Reading Amy Lowell, “Thompson’s Lunch Room—Grand Central Station”
Amy Lowell, “The Pike”
Amy Lowell, “The Pike” In the brown water,Thick and silver-sheened in the sunshine,Liquid and cool in the shade of the … Continue Reading Amy Lowell, “The Pike”
Charles Reznikoff, “Millinery District”
Charles Reznikoff, “Millinery District” The clouds, piled in rows like merchandise, become dark; lights are lit in the lofts; the … Continue Reading Charles Reznikoff, “Millinery District”
Delmore Schwartz, “The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me”
Delmore Schwartz, “The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me” “the withness of the body” The heavy bear who goes with … Continue Reading Delmore Schwartz, “The Heavy Bear Who Goes With Me”
Delmore Schwartz, “In the Naked Bed, in Plato’s Cave”
Delmore Schwartz, “In the Naked Bed, in Plato’s Cave” In the naked bed, in Plato’s cave, Reflected headlights slowly slid … Continue Reading Delmore Schwartz, “In the Naked Bed, in Plato’s Cave”
Walt Whitman, “A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim”
Walt Whitman, “A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim” A sight in camp in the daybreak gray … Continue Reading Walt Whitman, “A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim”
T. S. Eliot, “Preludes”
T. S. Eliot, “Preludes” I The winter evening settles down With smell of steaks in passageways. Six o’clock. The burnt-out … Continue Reading T. S. Eliot, “Preludes”
Seamus Heaney, “The Strand at Lough Beg” (An Elegy from the Troubles)
Seamus Heaney, “The Strand at Lough Beg” In Memory of Colum McCartney All round this little island, on the strand … Continue Reading Seamus Heaney, “The Strand at Lough Beg” (An Elegy from the Troubles)
Thom Gunn, “On the Move”
Thom Gunn, “On the Move” “Man, you gotta Go.” The blue jay scuffling in the bushes follows Some hidden purpose, … Continue Reading Thom Gunn, “On the Move”
Thom Gunn, “No Speech from the Scaffold”
Thom Gunn, “No Speech from the Scaffold” There will be no speech from the scaffold, the scene must be its … Continue Reading Thom Gunn, “No Speech from the Scaffold”
Yvor Winters, “Time and the Garden”
Yvor Winters, “Time and the Garden” The spring has darkened with activity. The future gathers in vine, bush, and tree: … Continue Reading Yvor Winters, “Time and the Garden”
Yvor Winters, “The Slow Pacific Swell”
Yvor Winters, “The Slow Pacific Swell” Far out of sight forever stands the sea, Bounding the land with pale tranquillity. … Continue Reading Yvor Winters, “The Slow Pacific Swell”
Czeslaw Milosz, “My Faithful Mother Tongue”
Czeslaw Milosz, “My Faithful Mother Tongue” Faithful mother tongue, I have been serving you. Every night, I used to set … Continue Reading Czeslaw Milosz, “My Faithful Mother Tongue”
Eavan Boland, “The Mother Tongue”
Eavan Boland, “The Mother Tongue” The old pale ditch can still be seen less than half a mile from my … Continue Reading Eavan Boland, “The Mother Tongue”
Genevieve Taggard, “To One Loved Wholly Within Wisdom”
Genevieve Taggard, “To One Loved Wholly Within Wisdom” Someone will reap you like a field, Pile your gathered plunder, Garner … Continue Reading Genevieve Taggard, “To One Loved Wholly Within Wisdom”
Genevieve Taggard, “To the Powers of Desolation”
Genevieve Taggard, “To the Powers of Desolation” O mortal boy we cannot stop The leak in that great wall where … Continue Reading Genevieve Taggard, “To the Powers of Desolation”
Robinson Jeffers, “Boats in a Fog”
Robinson Jeffers, “Boats in a Fog” Sports and gallantries, the stage, the arts, the antics of dancers, The exuberant voices … Continue Reading Robinson Jeffers, “Boats in a Fog”
Marge Piercy, “Girl in white”
Marge Piercy, “Girl in white” Don’t think because her petal thighs leap and her slight breasts flatten against your chest … Continue Reading Marge Piercy, “Girl in white”
“Isis in Old Age” – new story up at Bold+Italic
Many thanks to the editors of Bold+Italic, who published my story “Isis in Old Age” earlier this year, and just … Continue Reading “Isis in Old Age” – new story up at Bold+Italic
Archibald MacLeish, “Voyage West”
Archibald MacLeish, “Voyage West” There was a time for discoveries — For the headlands looming above in the First light … Continue Reading Archibald MacLeish, “Voyage West”
Ted Hughes – “Crow’s Song about God”
Ted Hughes – “Crow’s Song about God” Somebody is sittingUnder the gatepost of heavenUnder the lintelOn which are written the … Continue Reading Ted Hughes – “Crow’s Song about God”
H. D., “Sea Iris,” “Sea Violet”
Sea Iris I Weed, moss-weed, root tangled in sand, sea-iris, brittle flower, one petal like a shell is broken, and … Continue Reading H. D., “Sea Iris,” “Sea Violet”
20th Century Poetry #20: Edgar Lee Masters
Edgar Lee Masters (1868-1950) One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #20: Edgar Lee Masters
Ezra Pound, “Portrait d’une Femme”
Ezra Pound, “Portrait d’une Femme” Your mind and you are our Sargasso Sea, London has swept about you this score … Continue Reading Ezra Pound, “Portrait d’une Femme”
W. B. Yeats, “Meru”
W. B. Yeats, “Meru” Civilisation is hooped together, broughtUnder a rule, under the semblance of peaceBy manifold illusion; but man’s … Continue Reading W. B. Yeats, “Meru”
Carl Sandburg, “Chicago”
Carl Sandburg, “Chicago” Hog Butcher for the World, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with Railroads and the Nation’s Freight … Continue Reading Carl Sandburg, “Chicago”
20th Century Poetry #19: Louis MacNeice
Louis MacNeice (1907-1963) One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #19: Louis MacNeice
Amy Lowell, “Lilacs”
Amy Lowell, “Lilacs” Lilacs, False blue, White, Purple, Color of lilac, Your great puffs of flowers Are everywhere in this … Continue Reading Amy Lowell, “Lilacs”
Edith Wharton, “Terminus”
Edith Wharton, “Terminus” Wonderful was the long secret night you gave me, my Lover, Palm to palm, breast to breast … Continue Reading Edith Wharton, “Terminus”
Translating Kafka’s Life: An Interview with Shelley Frisch
I have posted about my love for Franz Kafka’s work many times in these pages. Today I’m lucky enough to … Continue Reading Translating Kafka’s Life: An Interview with Shelley Frisch
20th Century Poetry #18: T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot (1888-1965) One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #18: T. S. Eliot
Dante, Through the Fire
Here’s one of the great moments in poetry: Canto 27 of Dante’s Purgatorio, where Dante passes through the fire, and … Continue Reading Dante, Through the Fire
William H. McNeill – History as Myth
A few years ago, the great historian William H. McNeill died. I still have surprisingly endearing memories of reading his … Continue Reading William H. McNeill – History as Myth
Adrienne Rich: 4 Love Poems
from 21 Love Poems: 1 Whenever in this city, screens flicker with pornography, with science-fiction vampires, victimized hirelings bending to … Continue Reading Adrienne Rich: 4 Love Poems
20th Century Poetry #17: R. S. Thomas
R. S. Thomas (1913-2000) One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #17: R. S. Thomas
Laurie Sheck’s poem “The Stockroom”
Back in the late nineties when a place called Borders Outlet still existed and Amazon was only a few years … Continue Reading Laurie Sheck’s poem “The Stockroom”
3 Poems of Adolescent Love & Hazing by Robert Lowell
Bobby Delano The labor to breathe that younger, rawer air: St. Mark’s last football game with Groton lost on the … Continue Reading 3 Poems of Adolescent Love & Hazing by Robert Lowell
20th Century Poetry #16: Vernon Watkins
VERNON WATKINS (1906-1967) One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #16: Vernon Watkins
Robert Pinsky, “The Figured Wheel”
The Figured Wheel, by Robert Pinsky The figured wheel rolls through shopping malls and prisons, Over farms, small and immense, … Continue Reading Robert Pinsky, “The Figured Wheel”
20th Century Poetry #15: C. Day-Lewis
C. DAY-LEWIS (1904-1972) One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #15: C. Day-Lewis
20th Century Poetry #14: Stevie Smith
The Best of Albert Camus’s Notebooks
A random scattering, some barely aphorisms, from the first two volumes of the notebooks of Albert Camus. They are gold: … Continue Reading The Best of Albert Camus’s Notebooks
20th Century Poetry #13: Basil Bunting
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #13: Basil Bunting
20th Century Poetry #12: D. H. Lawrence
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #12: D. H. Lawrence
20th Century Poetry #11: Rudyard Kipling
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #11: Rudyard Kipling
20th Century Poetry #9: Susan Miles
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #9: Susan Miles
20th Century Poetry #8: Wilfred Owen & the Poetry of World War One
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #8: Wilfred Owen & the Poetry of World War One
20th Century Poetry #7: W. B. Yeats
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #7: W. B. Yeats
20th Century Poetry #6: John Squire & the Poetry of Protest
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #6: John Squire & the Poetry of Protest
20th Century Poetry #5: Edward Thomas
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #5: Edward Thomas
20th Century Poetry #4: Laurence Binyon
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #4: Laurence Binyon
William Blake Chooses Eternity
A wonderful paragraph from Peter Ackroyd’s biography of William Blake, where he shows how the poet slowly came to accept … Continue Reading William Blake Chooses Eternity
20th Century Poetry #3: W. H. Davies
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #3: W. H. Davies
20th Century Poetry #2: A. E. Housman
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every Saturday … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #2: A. E. Housman
20th Century Poetry #1: Thomas Hardy
One way to understand where poetry is now is to see where it was a hundred years ago. Every … Continue Reading 20th Century Poetry #1: Thomas Hardy
Robert Frost: “Out, Out – ”
“Out, Out – ” The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks … Continue Reading Robert Frost: “Out, Out – ”
Nero & His Mother (poem)
Nero & His Mother I arranged to have her murdered at sea but she just swam to shore as the … Continue Reading Nero & His Mother (poem)
T. S. Eliot & His Father
Here is a favorite bit from a youthful T. S. Eliot (he’s just turned thirty but that’s young to me … Continue Reading T. S. Eliot & His Father
When On High, When I Also Saw the Deep (poem)
Originally published at Isacoustic When On High, When I Also Saw the Deep I. When I also saw the deep … Continue Reading When On High, When I Also Saw the Deep (poem)
Speaking of Short Stories
Back when I used to do a lot of readings, I would start out by sharing somebody else’s work, and … Continue Reading Speaking of Short Stories
Ted Hughes: 2 War Poems
Six Young Men The celluloid of a photograph holds them well – Six young men, familiar to their friends. Four … Continue Reading Ted Hughes: 2 War Poems
Emily Dickinson Affirms a Soul
#1142 The Props assist the House Until the House is built And then the Props withdraw And adequate, erect, The … Continue Reading Emily Dickinson Affirms a Soul
Dylan Thomas: “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower”
The force that through the green fuse drives the flower The force that through the green fuse drives the flower … Continue Reading Dylan Thomas: “The force that through the green fuse drives the flower”
Allen Ginsberg, “Paterson”
Paterson What do I want in these rooms papered with visions of money? How much can I make by cutting … Continue Reading Allen Ginsberg, “Paterson”
Robert Frost: “Out, Out – ”
“Out, Out – ” The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks … Continue Reading Robert Frost: “Out, Out – ”
Hart Crane: “My Grandmother’s Love Letters”
My Grandmother’s Love Letters There are no stars tonight But those of memory. Yet how much room for memory there … Continue Reading Hart Crane: “My Grandmother’s Love Letters”
Mary Robinson’s Poem “A London Summer Morning”
After finishing To the House of the Sun, a poem mostly reliant on translations of ancient poetry (and in some … Continue Reading Mary Robinson’s Poem “A London Summer Morning”
“All I know is a door into the dark”: 2 Poems by Seamus Heaney
A young Seamus Heaney recalls a blacksmith from his boyhood, while a much older Seamus Heaney illustrates the sometimes excessive … Continue Reading “All I know is a door into the dark”: 2 Poems by Seamus Heaney
The Poet Speaks #14: Kafka Tries Again & Again
Here are some bits from Kafka’s Diaries, trying & failing to harmonize his writing life with his family and work … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #14: Kafka Tries Again & Again
The Poet Speaks #13: Richard Wilbur & John Berryman: “The artist is extremely lucky who is presented with the worst possible ordeal which will not actually kill him”
Even though I’ve never read a word of his poetry, John Berryman has been haunting me lately. Two friends who … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #13: Richard Wilbur & John Berryman: “The artist is extremely lucky who is presented with the worst possible ordeal which will not actually kill him”
The Poet Speaks #12: Ralph Ellison, Anthony Burgess, James Dickey
If the Negro, or any other writer, is going to do what is expected of him, he’s lost the battle … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #12: Ralph Ellison, Anthony Burgess, James Dickey
The Poet Speaks #11: George Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Philip Levine, Stephen King, Seamus Heaney: “struggling erring human creatures”
George Eliot, on empathy: The greatest benefit we owe to the artist, whether painter, poet, or novelist, is the extension … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #11: George Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Philip Levine, Stephen King, Seamus Heaney: “struggling erring human creatures”
The Poet Speaks #9: Geoffrey Hill, Robert Frost, Allen Ginsberg, James Merrill, Ursula K. Le Guin: “We are difficult”
On the supposed “difficulty” of his poetry: We are difficult. Human beings are difficult. We’re difficult to ourselves, we’re difficult … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #9: Geoffrey Hill, Robert Frost, Allen Ginsberg, James Merrill, Ursula K. Le Guin: “We are difficult”
The Poet Speaks #8: Patti Smith, Toni Morrison, T. S. Eliot, Hart Crane: “I shall make every sacrifice toward that end”
As even “nerd culture” and all the rest just becomes another snobby fad and pop culture corner to hide in, … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #8: Patti Smith, Toni Morrison, T. S. Eliot, Hart Crane: “I shall make every sacrifice toward that end”
The Poet Speaks #7: Bronowski, Bloom, Munro, Gilbert, Trevor
On why he turned from more specialized to more popular writing on science and culture: Because of that [the use … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #7: Bronowski, Bloom, Munro, Gilbert, Trevor
The Poet Speaks #6: Yeats & Blake
Some great quotes from W. B. Yeats and William Blake, chosen almost at random from two good biographies of them; … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #6: Yeats & Blake
The Poet Speaks #5: Hughes, Auden, Hall, Pinsky, Collins
On why he wrote about animals so much: I suppose because they were there at the beginning. Like parents. Since … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #5: Hughes, Auden, Hall, Pinsky, Collins
The Poet Speaks #4: O’Connor, Campbell, Merwin, Walcott, van Gogh
Flannery O’Connor responds to questions from academics and their students about her short stories: Week before last I went to … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #4: O’Connor, Campbell, Merwin, Walcott, van Gogh
The Poet Speaks #3: Snodgrass, Beethoven, Hollander, Kunitz, Milosz
Advice to aspiring poets: If you can, get out. Everything else in the world pays better. Everything else in the … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #3: Snodgrass, Beethoven, Hollander, Kunitz, Milosz
The Poet Speaks #2: Leonardo, Williams, Bishop, Meredith, Ashbery
Quotes from all over on art & creativity: [Leonardo] was always less concerned with the finishing of a picture than … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #2: Leonardo, Williams, Bishop, Meredith, Ashbery
The Poet Speaks #1: Fitzgerald, Larkin, Paz, Lowell, Aiken
A new series of quotes from everywhere on writing and creativity: I was in the Navy, and I worked at … Continue Reading The Poet Speaks #1: Fitzgerald, Larkin, Paz, Lowell, Aiken
Tao Te Ching #81: “True words are not beautiful, beautiful words are not true”
True words are not beautiful, beautiful words are not true. The good are not argumentative, the argumentative are not good. … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #81: “True words are not beautiful, beautiful words are not true”
Tao Te Ching #80: “the people go back to simple techniques”
A small state has few people. It has the people keep arms but not use them. It has them regard … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #80: “the people go back to simple techniques”
Tao Te Ching #79: “Therefore sages keep their faith and do not pressure others”
When you harmonize bitter enemies, yet resentment is sure to linger, how can this be called good? Therefore sages keep … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #79: “Therefore sages keep their faith and do not pressure others”
Tao Te Ching #78: “So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful”
Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #78: “So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful”
Tao Te Ching #77: “The Way of heaven reduces excess and fills need, but the way of humans is not so”
The Way of heaven is like drawing a bow: the high is lowered, the low is raised; excess is reduced, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #77: “The Way of heaven reduces excess and fills need, but the way of humans is not so”
Tao Te Ching #76: “Let strength and might be put below, and tender, gentle in control”
When people are born they are supple, and when they die they are stiff. When trees are born they are … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #76: “Let strength and might be put below, and tender, gentle in control”
Tao Te Ching #75: “Only those who do not contrive to live are wise in valuing life”
When people are starving, it is because their governments take too much, causing them to starve. When people are hard … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #75: “Only those who do not contrive to live are wise in valuing life”
Tao Te Ching #74: “If people usually don’t fear death, how can death be used to scare them?”
If people usually don’t fear death, how can death be used to scare them? If people are made to fear … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #74: “If people usually don’t fear death, how can death be used to scare them?”
Tao Te Ching #73: “But which man knows what heaven condemns, what precedents it’s guided by?”
Boldness in daring means killing; boldness in not daring means life. These two may help and may harm. Who knows … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #73: “But which man knows what heaven condemns, what precedents it’s guided by?”
Tao Te Ching #72: “Don’t repress how people live”
When the people are not awed by authority, then great authority is attained. Their homes are not small to them, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #72: “Don’t repress how people live”
Tao Te Ching #71: “To presume to know what you don’t is sick”
To know unconsciously is best. To presume to know what you don’t is sick. Only by recognizing the sickness of … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #71: “To presume to know what you don’t is sick”
Tao Te Ching #70: “And so we remain unknown”
My sayings are very easy to recognize, and very easy to apply. But no one in the world can recognize … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #70: “And so we remain unknown”
Tao Te Ching #69: “No fate is worse than to have no enemy”
There are sayings on the use of arms: “Let us not be aggressors, but defend.” “Let us not advance an … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #69: “No fate is worse than to have no enemy”
Tao Te Ching #68 “This is the virtue of nonaggression”
Good warriors do not arm, good fighters don’t get mad, good winners don’t contend, good employers serve their workers. This … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #68 “This is the virtue of nonaggression”
Tao Te Ching #67: “What Heaven creates let compassion protect”
Everyone in the world says my Way is great, but it seems incomparable. It is just because it is great … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #67: “What Heaven creates let compassion protect”
Tao Te Ching #66: Because they do not contend, no one in the world can contend with them”
The reason why rivers and seas can be lords of the hundred valleys is that they lower themselves to them … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #66: Because they do not contend, no one in the world can contend with them”
Tao Te Ching #65: “The ancient masters of the Way tried not to enlighten but to keep people in the dark”
In ancient times, good practitioners of the Way did not use it to enlighten the people, but to make them … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #65: “The ancient masters of the Way tried not to enlighten but to keep people in the dark”
Tao Te Ching #64: “The most massive tree grows from a sprout, the highest building rises from a pile of earth, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step”
What is at rest is easy to hold. What has not shown up is easy to take into account. What … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #64: “The most massive tree grows from a sprout, the highest building rises from a pile of earth, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step”
Tao Te Ching #63: “Do nondoing, strive for nonstriving, savor the flavorless, regard the small as important, make much of little, repay enmity with virtue”
Do nondoing, strive for nonstriving, savor the flavorless, regard the small as important, make much of little, repay enmity with … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #63: “Do nondoing, strive for nonstriving, savor the flavorless, regard the small as important, make much of little, repay enmity with virtue”
Tao Te Ching #62: “advancing calmly on this Way”
The Way is the pivot of all things: the treasure of good people, the safeguard of those who are not … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #62: “advancing calmly on this Way”
Tao Te Ching #61: “A great nation wants no more than to include and nurture people”
A great nation flows downward into intercourse with the world. The female of the world always prevails over the male … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #61: “A great nation wants no more than to include and nurture people”
Tao Te Ching #60: “Governing a large nation is like cooking little fish”
Governing a large nation is like cooking little fish. When the world is ruled by the Way, the ghosts are … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #60: “Governing a large nation is like cooking little fish”
Tao Te Ching #59: “The Way of extended life and sustained reflection”
To govern the human and serve the divine, nothing compares to frugality. Only frugality brings early recovery; early recovery means … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #59: “The Way of extended life and sustained reflection”
Tao Te Ching #58: “happiness rests in misery, misery hides in happiness”
When the government is unobtrusive, the people are pure. When the government is invasive, the people are wanting. Calamity is … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #58: “happiness rests in misery, misery hides in happiness”
Tao Te Ching #57: “the people simplify themselves”
Use straightforwardness for civil government, use surprise for military operations; use noninvolvement to take the world. How do I know … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #57: “the people simplify themselves”
Tao Te Ching #56: “Those who know do not say, those who say do not know”
Those who know do not say; those who say do not know. Close the senses, shut the doors; blunt the … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #56: “Those who know do not say, those who say do not know”
Tao Te Ching #55: “Knowing how to be balanced we endure, knowing how to endure we become wise”
The richness of subliminal virtue is comparable to an infant: poisonous creatures do not sting it, wild beasts do not … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #55: “Knowing how to be balanced we endure, knowing how to endure we become wise”
Tao Te Ching #54: “What you plant well can’t be uprooted, what you hold well can’t be taken away”
Good construction does not fall down, a good embrace does not let go; their heirs honor them unceasingly. Cultivate it … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #54: “What you plant well can’t be uprooted, what you hold well can’t be taken away”
Tao Te Ching #53: “The Great Way is quite even, yet people prefer byways”
Causing one flashes of knowledge to travel the Great Way, only its application demands care. The Great Way is quite … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #53: “The Great Way is quite even, yet people prefer byways”
Tao Te Ching #52: “Once you’ve found the mother, thereby you know the child”
The world has a beginning that is the mother of the world. Once you’ve found the mother, thereby you know … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #52: “Once you’ve found the mother, thereby you know the child”
Tao Te Ching #51: “this is called Dark Virtue”
The Way gives birth, virtue nurtures, things form, momentum completes. Therefore all beings honor the Way and value its Virtue. … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #51: “this is called Dark Virtue”
Tao Te Ching #50: “for them there’s no land of death”
Exiting life, we enter death. The followers of life are three out of ten; in the lives of the people, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #50: “for them there’s no land of death”
Tao Te Ching #49: “Sages have no fixed mind, they make the minds of the people their mind”
Sages have no fixed mind; they make the minds of the people their mind: they improve the good, and also … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #49: “Sages have no fixed mind, they make the minds of the people their mind”
Tao Te Ching #48: “To pursue learning, learn more day by day, to pursue the Way, unlearn it day by day”
For learning you gain daily; for the Way you lose daily. Losing and losing, thus you reach noncontrivance; be uncontrived, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #48: “To pursue learning, learn more day by day, to pursue the Way, unlearn it day by day”
Tao Te Ching #47: “Without going out your door you can know the whole world”
They know the world without even going out the door. They see the sky and its pattern without even looking … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #47: “Without going out your door you can know the whole world”
Tao Te Ching #46: “No crime is greater than approving of greed”
When the world has the Way, running horses are retired to till the fields. When the world lacks the Way, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #46: “No crime is greater than approving of greed”
Tao Te Ching #45: “Clear stillness is right for the world”
Great completeness seems incomplete; its use is never exhausted. Great fullness seems empty; its use is never ended. Great directness … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #45: “Clear stillness is right for the world”
Tao Te Ching #44: “Extreme fondness means great expense, and abundant possessions mean much loss”
Which is closer, your name or your body? Which is more, your body or your possessions? Which is more destructive, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #44: “Extreme fondness means great expense, and abundant possessions mean much loss”
Tao Te Ching #43: “In this world below the sky the gentle will outdo the strong”
What is softest in the world drives what is hardest in the world. Nonbeing enters where there is no room; … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #43: “In this world below the sky the gentle will outdo the strong”
Tao Te Ching #42: “Those who take less shall have more, Those given more shall have less”
The Way produces one; one produces two, two produces three, three produces all beings: all beings bear yin and embrace … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #42: “Those who take less shall have more, Those given more shall have less”
Tao Te Ching #41: “If they didn’t laugh at it, it wouldn’t be the Way”
When superior people hear of the Way, they carry it out with diligence. When middling people hear of the Way, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #41: “If they didn’t laugh at it, it wouldn’t be the Way”
Tao Te Ching #40: “The Tao moves the other way, the Tao works through weakness”
Return is the movement of the Way; yielding is the function of the Way. All things in the world are … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #40: “The Tao moves the other way, the Tao works through weakness”
Tao Te Ching #39: “Attaining unity”
When unity was attained of old, heaven became clear by attaining unity, earth became steady by attaining unity, spirit was … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #39: “Attaining unity”
Tao Te Ching #38: “Virtue comes after loss of the Way”
Higher virtue is not ingratiating; that is why it has virtue. Lower virtue does not forget about reward; that is … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #38: “Virtue comes after loss of the Way”
Tao Te Ching #37: “By not wanting, there is calm, and the world will straighten itself”
The Way is always uncontrived, yet there’s nothing it doesn’t do. If lords and monarchs could keep to it, all … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #37: “By not wanting, there is calm, and the world will straighten itself”
Tao Te Ching #36: “Flexibility and yielding overcome adamant coerciveness”
Should you want to contain something, you must deliberately let it expand. Should you want to weaken something, you must … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #36: “Flexibility and yielding overcome adamant coerciveness”
Tao Te Ching #35: “the Tao speaks plain words that make no sense … yet we use it without end”
When holding the Great Image, the world goes on and on without harm, peaceful, even tranquil. Where there is music … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #35: “the Tao speaks plain words that make no sense … yet we use it without end”
Tao Te Ching #34: “Therefore sages never contrive greatness; that is why they can become so great.”
The Great Way is universal; it can apply to the left or the right. All beings depend on it for … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #34: “Therefore sages never contrive greatness; that is why they can become so great.”
Tao Te Ching #33: “Those who know others are wise; those who know themselves are enlightened.”
Those who know others are wise; those who know themselves are enlightened. Those who overcome others are powerful; those who … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #33: “Those who know others are wise; those who know themselves are enlightened.”
Tao Te Ching #32: “The Way is essentially nameless”
The Way is essentially nameless. Though simplicity is small, the world cannot subordinate it. If lords and monarchs can keep … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #32: “The Way is essentially nameless”
Tao Te Ching #31: “Weapons are the tools of violence; all decent men detest them”
Fine weapons are implements of ill omen: people may despise them, so those with the Way do not dwell with … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #31: “Weapons are the tools of violence; all decent men detest them”
Tao Te Ching #30: “do not coerce the world with weapons”
Those who assist human leadership with the Way do not coerce the world with weapons, for these things are apt … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #30: “do not coerce the world with weapons”
Tao Te Ching #29: “Should you want to take this world”
Should you want to take this world, and contrive to do so, I see you won’t manage to finish. The … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #29: “Should you want to take this world”
Tao Te Ching #28: “Know the male, keep the female”
Know the male, keep the female; be humble toward the world. But humble to the world, and eternal power never … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #28: “Know the male, keep the female”
Tao Te Ching #27: “Good works are trackless”
“Good works are trackless” Good works are trackless, good words are flawless, good planning isn’t calculating. What is well closed … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #27: “Good works are trackless”
Tao Te Ching #26: “Gravity is the root of lightness”
Gravity is the root of lightness; calm is the master of excitement. Thereby do exemplary people travel all day without … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #26: “Gravity is the root of lightness”
Tao Te Ching #25: “Something undifferentiated was born before heaven and earth”
Something undifferentiated was born before heaven and earth; still and silent, standing alone and unchanging, going through cycles unending, able … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #25: “Something undifferentiated was born before heaven and earth”
Tao Te Ching #24: “Those on tiptoe don’t stand up”
Those on tiptoe don’t stand up, those who take long strides don’t walk; those who see themselves are not perceptive, … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #24: “Those on tiptoe don’t stand up”
Tao Te Ching #23: “To speak rarely is natural”
To speak rarely is natural. That is why a gusty wind doesn’t last the morning, a downpour of rain doesn’t … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #23: “To speak rarely is natural”
Tao Te Ching #22: “Be tactful and you remain whole”
Be tactful and you remain whole; bend and you remain straight. The hollow is filled, the old is renewed. Economy … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #22: “Be tactful and you remain whole”
Tao Te Ching #21: “For the countenance of great virtue”
For the countenance of great virtue, only the Way is to be followed. As a thing, the Way is abstract … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #21: “For the countenance of great virtue”
Tao Te Ching #20: “Detach from learning and you have no worries”
Detach from learning and you have no worries. How far apart are yes and yeah? How far apart are good … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #20: “Detach from learning and you have no worries”
Tao Te Ching #19: “Eliminate sagacity, abandon knowledge”
Eliminate sagacity, abandon knowledge, and the people benefit a hundredfold. Eliminate humanitarianism, abandon duty, and the people return to familial … Continue Reading Tao Te Ching #19: “Eliminate sagacity, abandon knowledge”
