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Quote by May Sarton

“How slowly one comes to understand anything!”

Quote by May Sarton

Book:At Seventy: A Journal

Work

At Seventy: A Journal

This journal explores the thoughts and insights of an individual as they reach the age of seventy, offering a candid look at the journey of life and the wisdom gained over the years. more

Author

American poet, born on May 3, 1912, and died on July 16, 1995. Known for her profound psychological insights and delicate portrayals of natural landscapes, May Sarton's poetry has had a significant impact on contemporary poetry, earning her numerous literary awards. more

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“I write poems about relationships, love relationships, and I'm not able to do that all the time. I could go two years without writing poems, and then write a dozen. Having a novel to work on, with the intricate puzzle of character and plot to work out, is satisfying for the time there is no poetry.”

Writing Years Two Character Able Novel Work Out Plot Two Years Satisfying Dozen Puzzles Intricate Love Relationship Writing Poems

Author:May Sarton

“The hardest thing we are asked to do in this world is to remain aware of suffering, suffering about which we can do nothing.”

World Suffering Can Do Compassion This World Hardest Hardest Thing

Book:At Seventy: A Journal

Source: At Seventy: A Journal

“The woman who needs to create works of art is born with a kind of psychic tension in her which drives her unmercifully to find a way to balance, to make herself whole. Every human being has this need: in the artist it is mandatory. Unable to fulfill it, he goes mad. But when the artist is a woman she fulfills it at the expense of herself as a woman.”

Way Needs Humans Kind Art Whole Artist Born Human Beings Balance Art Is Mad Tension Expenses Works Of Art Psychics

Book:From May Sarton's well: writings of May Sarton

Source: From May Sarton's well: writings of May Sarton

“How unnatural the imposed view, imposed by a puritanical ethos, that passionate love belongs only to the young, that people are dead from the neck down by the time they are forty, and that any deep feeling, any passion after that age, is either ludicrous or revolting!”

People Feelings Age Young Passion Love Is Views Passionate Necks Forty Unnatural Passionate Love Ethos Deep Feeling

Book:Journal of a Solitude

Source: Journal of a Solitude

“I simply adore being alone - I find it a consuming thirst - and when that thirst is slaked, then I am happy.”

Solitude Thirst Adore Consuming

Author:May Sarton

“The courtroom is a quiet place, Judge Roberts, where you park your political ideology, and you call the balls and you call the strikes.”

Political Judging Quiet Balls Strikes Ideology Parks Umpires Courtroom Political Ideology Quiet Place

Author:Lindsey Graham

“When it comes to the important things one is always alone.”

Important Important Things Always Alone

Book:Journal of a Solitude

Source: Journal of a Solitude

“What we have not has made us what we are. / ... / What we are not drives us to consummation.”

Made Desire Ambition

Author:May Sarton

“I have sometimes wondered also whether in people like me who come to the boil fast (soupe au lait, the French call this trait, like a milk soup that boils over) the tantrum is not a built-in safety valve against madness or illness. ... The fierce tension in me, when it is properly channeled, creates the good tension for work. But when it becomes unbalanced I am destructive. How to isolate that good tension is my problem these days. Or, put in another way, how to turn the heat down fast enough so the soup won't boil over!”

People Way Sometimes Enough Problem Turns Built Madness Anger Safety Illness Like Me These Days Heat Tension Destructive Milk Traits Fierce Soup Another Way Tantrums Unbalanced Valve

Author:May Sarton

“Failure would only be if you had somewhere stopped growing. As far as I can see the whole duty of the artist is to keep on growing.”

Ifs I Can Whole Artist Growing Duty Failure

Author:May Sarton