[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fkIQs4JFQJbn6sjIlvufCVzFm12CLHR-8Z_LKOHpJM9c":3,"$fEgXAIao7YZ19bXJeH-HiH_a8yckilVSG0v9ecTJz8X4":16},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},30487,"W. S. Merwin","W",108,null,"w-s-merwin",[12],{"tag_id":13,"tag_name":14,"tag_count":15},56,"thinking",7,{"quotes":17,"pagination":81},[18,25,31,37,43,49,55,61,68,75],{"id":19,"quote_text":20,"author_id":5,"source_id":15,"has_image":21,"author":22,"source":23,"quote_tag":24,"commentary":9},3993416,"The Indians seemed to be living in a place and in a way that was of immense importance to me. So I associate learning to read - English, oddly enough - with wanting to know about Indians. I'm still growing into it. I've never outgrown that.",false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":26,"quote_text":27,"author_id":5,"source_id":15,"has_image":21,"author":28,"source":29,"quote_tag":30,"commentary":9},3993402,"We are the shadow of Sirius. There is the other side of - as we talk to each other, we see the light, and we see these faces, but we know that behind that, there's the other side, which we never know. And that - it's the dark, the unknown side that guides us, and that is part of our lives all the time. It's the mystery.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":32,"quote_text":33,"author_id":5,"source_id":15,"has_image":21,"author":34,"source":35,"quote_tag":36,"commentary":9},3993395,"The Arab world is erupting, which is extraordinary, and to see it happen is like watching rings spreading on a pool - it goes out; it varies so much. The spontaneity is wonderful, but very often, if it's not well organized, it breaks up, and it peters out.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":38,"quote_text":39,"author_id":5,"source_id":15,"has_image":21,"author":40,"source":41,"quote_tag":42,"commentary":9},3993387,"The idea of writing, to me, was, from the beginning, was writing something which was a little different from the ordinary exchange of speech. It was something that had a certain formality, something in which the words were of interest in themselves.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":44,"quote_text":45,"author_id":5,"source_id":15,"has_image":21,"author":46,"source":47,"quote_tag":48,"commentary":9},3993372,"The past is always - one moment it's what happened three minutes ago, and one minute it's what happened 30 years ago. And they flow into each other in ways that we can't predict and that we keep discovering in dreams, which keep bringing up feelings and moments, some of which we never actually saw.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":50,"quote_text":51,"author_id":5,"source_id":15,"has_image":21,"author":52,"source":53,"quote_tag":54,"commentary":9},3993364,"I go five steps in the garden, and I immediately lose track of time... it is a kind of joy in being alive in being in the world. I always found that in the garden. That is what it means to me.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":56,"quote_text":57,"author_id":5,"source_id":15,"has_image":21,"author":58,"source":59,"quote_tag":60,"commentary":9},3993354,"I can't imagine ever writing anything of any kind on a machine. I never tried to write either poetry or prose on a typewriter. I like to do it on useless paper, scrap paper, because it's of no importance.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":62,"quote_text":63,"author_id":5,"source_id":15,"has_image":21,"author":64,"source":65,"quote_tag":66,"commentary":67},3993346,"The time of wisdom cannot be measured, and for me, wisdom is the garden. There is no time in the garden.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nW.S. Merwin, a renowned American poet and translator, likely penned these words during his later years, when he was deeply engaged with the natural world and exploring the concept of timelessness in his work. This era of his life saw him focusing on ecological concerns and spiritual exploration, reflecting in his writing on the interconnectedness of human existence and the natural world.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nWhat's striking about this quote is not just its calming presence but the implicit critique it offers to our conventional understanding of time and productivity. Merwin suggests that wisdom isn't something acquired over a certain period or through achieving milestones, but rather it's an experience that transcends linear progression - it's akin to cultivating a garden, where growth happens in the moment, not according to a clock.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, consider shifting your approach from planning every step of your journey (like mapping out a garden) to focusing on the present moment. Instead of measuring progress by time spent or milestones achieved, observe how wisdom grows within you as you tend to your projects and relationships with mindfulness and patience.",{"id":69,"quote_text":70,"author_id":5,"source_id":15,"has_image":21,"author":71,"source":72,"quote_tag":73,"commentary":74},3993330,"Jeffersonian democracy, faulty as it is, and only the fragment of it that we have, is a thing of such preciousness, a thing of such value.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nW.S. Merwin's quote on Jeffersonian democracy was likely written during the 1960s, a time of great social and political upheaval in the United States. Merwin, a poet and essayist, was deeply concerned with the erosion of democracy and the environment. His writings from this period reflect a sense of disillusionment with the American Dream and a growing awareness of the country's imperialistic and destructive tendencies.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nOn the surface, Merwin's quote seems to express admiration for the ideals of democracy, but upon closer examination, it reveals a more complex sentiment. Merwin is not naively celebrating the existing state of democracy but rather acknowledging its \"faulty\" nature while recognizing its inherent value, suggesting that even flawed systems can hold precious qualities that are worth preserving and striving for.\n\n**How to Use This**\nWhen navigating the complexities of your own professional or creative endeavors, recognize that imperfections are an inherent part of any system. Instead of striving for perfection, focus on preserving and amplifying the valuable aspects of your work, even if they are imperfectly realized. By embracing the \"preciousness\" of your efforts, you can cultivate a sense of resilience and commitment to your goals.",{"id":76,"quote_text":77,"author_id":5,"source_id":15,"has_image":21,"author":78,"source":79,"quote_tag":80,"commentary":9},3993324,"I think poetry is as old as language, and both come out of the same thing - an effort to try to express something that is inexpressible.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"currentPage":82,"totalPages":83,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":84},1,11,10]