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Jean Cocteau Quotes

Poet

Jean Cocteau was a French poet, playwright, novelist, and painter, renowned for his unique literary style and artistic achievements. Born on July 5, 1889, and passing away on October 11, 1963, Cocteau's work spanned poetry, drama, fiction, and painting. His creations often blended dreams and reality, profoundly influencing French literature and art in the 20th century.

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Famous Jean Cocteau Quotes

“Poetry is an ethic. By ethic I mean a secret code of behavior, a discipline constructed and conducted according to the capabilities of a man who rejects the falsifications of the categorical imperative.”

Men Mean Secret Discipline Behavior Ethics Code Rejects Poetry Is Capability Imperatives Falsification Categorical Imperative

Author:Jean Cocteau

“In exiling myself I am not exiling a monster, but a man whom society will not allow to live, since it considers one of the mysterious cogs in God's masterpiece to be a mistake.”

Men Mistake Monsters Mysterious Masterpiece Cogs

Book:Cocteau's world: an anthology of writings

Source: Cocteau's world: an anthology of writings

“What uniform can I wear to hide my heavy heart? It is too heavy. It will always show. Jacques felt himself growing gloomy again. He was well aware that to live on earth a man must follow its fashions, and hearts were no longer worn.”

Men Wells Heart Shows Earth Felt Growing Fashion Heavy Worn Uniforms Gloomy Heavy Heart

Book:Cocteau's world: an anthology of writings

Source: Cocteau's world: an anthology of writings

“A man's truest self realizations might require him, above all, to learn to close his eyes: to let himself be taken unawares, to follow his dark angel, to risk his illegal instincts.”

Men Self Might Eye Dark Taken Risk Angel Instinct Self Realization Realization His Eyes Illegal Truest

Author:Jean Cocteau

“When we awake it is the animal, the plant, that thinks in us. Primitive thought without the least disguise. We see a terrible universe, because we see clearly. A little later, intelligence introduces its impeding contrivances. It brings the little toys which man invents in order to hide the void. It is then that we think we are seeing clearly. We attribute our uneasiness to the miasmas of the brain as it passes from dream to reality.”

Thinking Men Littles Dream Reality Order Universe Animal Brain Seeing Terrible Plant Awake Attributes Void Toys Introducing Primitive Disguise Uneasiness

Author:Jean Cocteau

“Statues to great men are made of the stones thrown at them in their lifetime.”

Men Made Stones Lifetime Great Men Thrown Statues

Author:Jean Cocteau

“There is always a period when a man with a beard shaves it off. This period does not last. He returns headlong to his beard.”

Men Doe Lasts Return Periods Beard

Book:Opium: The Illustrated Diary of His Cure

Source: Opium: The Illustrated Diary of His Cure

“Man seeks to escape himself in myth, and does so by any means at his disposal. Drugs, alcohol, or lies. Unable to withdraw into himself, he disguises himself. Lies and inaccuracy give him a few moments of comfort.”

Men Giving Mean Doe Moments Lying Comfort Drug Myth Alcohol Disguise Escapism

Author:Jean Cocteau

“And now I have to confess the unpardonable and the scandalous. I am a happy man. And I am going to tell you the secret of my happiness. It is quite simple. I love mankind. I love love. I hate hate. I try to understand and accept.”

Men Trying Hate Simple Secret Accepting Mankind I Hate Happy Man Scandalous

Book:The journals of Jean Cocteau

Source: The journals of Jean Cocteau

“One must be a living man and a posthumous artist.”

Men Art Artist Posthumous

Author:Jean Cocteau

About the Author

Born: July 5, 1889
Died: October 11, 1963
Known for: Poet
Quotes: 231

Books & Sources

Opium: The Illustrated Diary of His CureRelated source material

Cocteau's world: an anthology of writingsRelated source material

The Difficulty of BeingRelated source material

A call to order: written between the years 1918 and 1926 and including Cock and harlequin, Professional secrets, and other critical essaysRelated source material

Past tense: diariesRelated source material

The Holy Terrors (Les Enfants Terribles)Related source material

A Call to Order, Written Between the Years 1918 and 1926 and IncludingRelated source material

The Infernal Machine: And Other PlaysRelated source material

The journals of Jean CocteauRelated source material

BarbetteRelated source material

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