What's madness but nobility of soul At odds with circumstance? The day's on fire! I know the purity of pure despair, My shadow pinned against a sweating wall, That place among the rocks--is it a cave, Or winding path? The edge is what I have........ Dark, dark my light, and darker my desire. My soul, like some heat-maddened summer fly, Keeps buzzing at the sill.~ From "The Waking" by Theodore Roethke . Theodore Roethke
About This Quote

The poet Theodore Roethke, in a poem called "The Waking," expresses the importance of emotion and soul. He explains that "madness" is a quality that is often attributed to the nobility of the soul. The soul, according to Roethke, has a very important role to play. It keeps us grounded during difficult situations.

In the poem, the poet speaks about his own "madness," which is a necessary component of being human. The poet says that he knows the purity of "pure despair." This is an expression of deep sadness which can be described as a feeling of despair mixed with hopelessness. But at the same time, he knows how this despair can be used to help him cope with his situation.

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  3. The poet's job is to put into words those feelings we all have that are so deep, so important, and yet so difficult to name, to tell the truth in such a beautiful way, that people cannot live without it. - Jane Kenyon
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More Quotes By Theodore Roethke
  1. Those who are willing to be vulnerable move among mysteries.
  2. In a dark time, the eye begins to see.
  3. By daily dying, I have come to be.
  4. I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow. I feel my fate in what I cannot fear. I learn by going where I have to go.
  5. What's madness but nobility of soul At odds with circumstance? The day's on fire! I know the purity of pure despair, My shadow pinned against a sweating wall, That place among the rocks--is it a cave, Or winding path? The edge is what I have...........
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