78 Quotes by Jack Gilbert

Our heart wanders lost in the dark woods. Our dream wrestles in the castle of doubt. But there’s music in us. Hope is pushed down but the angel flies up again taking us with her.

Failing and Flying"Everyone forgets that Icarus also flew …I believe that Icarus was not failing as he flewbut just coming to the end of is triumph.228

Failing and Flying"Everyone forgets that Icarus also flew.…I believe Icarus was not failing as he fell,but just coming to the end of his triumph.228

The heartnever fitsthe journey.Alwaysone endsfirst.

The Spirit and the Soul"The spirit dances, comes and goes. But the soul is nailed to us like lentils and fatty bacon lodgedunder the ribs. 143-144

Meanwhile"Loneliness is the mother's milk of America.319

We are a singularity that makes music out of noise because we must hurry. We make a harvest of loneliness and desiring in the blank wasteland of the cosmos.

A Brief for the DefenseWe must risk delight. We can do without pleasure,but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world. To make injustice the only measure of our attention is to praise the Devil.213

(The rain and the smell of nightpulled at me. Confused me.) Everything means a choice,she had said, getting one thing and losing one. The love stillheld me, but all at once I could, despite the rain, admitto myself what I really wanted was this clarity.