All of us yearn for the highest wisdom, but we have to rely on ourselves in the end. Czeslaw Milosz More Quotes by Czeslaw Milosz More Quotes From Czeslaw Milosz The revolt against one's environment is usually 'shame' of one's environment. Czeslaw Milosz revolt shame environment Every poet depends upon generations who wrote in his native tongue; he inherits styles and forms elaborated by those who lived before him. At the same time, though, he feels that those old means of expression are not adequate to his own experience. Czeslaw Milosz style expression mean The vineyard country, russet, reddish, carmine-brown in this season. Czeslaw Milosz strong philosophy country They used to pour millet on graves or poppy seeds To feed the dead who would come disguised as birds. I put this book here for you, who once lived So that you should visit us no more. Czeslaw Milosz poppies bird book Grow your tree of falsehood from a small grain of truth. Do not follow those who lie in contempt of reality. Let your lie be even more logical than the truth itself, so the weary travelers may find repose. Czeslaw Milosz tree lying reality We have become indifferent to content, and react, not even to form, but to technique, to technical efficiency itself. Czeslaw Milosz efficiency crafts technique It isn't pleasant to surrender to the hegemony of a nation which is still wild and primitive, and to concede the absolute superiority of its customs and institutions, science and technology, literature and art. Must one sacrifice so much in the name of the unity of mankind? Czeslaw Milosz sacrifice technology art I was left behind with the immensity of existing things. A sponge, suffering because it cannot saturate itself; a river, suffering because reflections of clouds and trees are not clouds and trees. Czeslaw Milosz reflection clouds rivers A man should not love the moon. An ax should not lose weight in his hand. His garden should smell of rotting apples, And grow a fair amount of nettles. Czeslaw Milosz garden moon men You see how I try To reach with words What matters most And how I fail. Czeslaw Milosz what-matters matter trying If I am all mankind, are they themselves without me? Czeslaw Milosz mankind ifs Forget the suffering You caused others. Forget the suffering Others caused you. The waters run and run, Springs sparkle and are done, You walk the earth you are forgetting. Czeslaw Milosz spring running water I've always regretted that I'm made of contradictions. But, if contradiction is impossible to overcome, we have to accept both its ends. Czeslaw Milosz contradiction overcoming impossible A day so happy. Fog lifted early. I worked in the garden. Hummingbirds were stopping over honeysuckle flowers. There was no thing on earth I wanted to possess. I know no one worth my envying him. Czeslaw Milosz gratitude cheer appreciation Our memory is childish and it saves only what we need. Czeslaw Milosz our-memories memories needs From life, from the apple cut by the flaming knife, Czeslaw Milosz fate believe son I have no wisdom, no skills, and no faith but I received strength, it tears the world apart. I shall break, a heavy wave, against its shores and a young wave will cover my trace. Czeslaw Milosz tears skills world All was taken away from you: white dresses, wings, even existence. Yet I believe you, messengers. There, where the world is turned inside out, a heavy fabric embroidered with stars and beasts, you stroll, inspecting the trustworthy seams. Czeslaw Milosz stars taken believe It's true that what is morbid is highly valued today, and so you may think that I am only joking or that I've devised just one more means of praising Art with the help of irony. Czeslaw Milosz mean art thinking Only a white-haired old man, who would be a prophet Yet is not a prophet, for he's much too busy, Repeats while he binds his tomatoes: No other end of the world will there be, No other end of the world will there be. Czeslaw Milosz would-be white men
