Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Richard Siken

Quote by Richard Siken

“Someone once told me that explaining is an admission of failure. I'm sure you remember, I was on the phone with you, sweetheart.”

Quote by Richard Siken

Book:Crush

Work

Crush

This book delves into the complexities of romantic relationships and the transformative journey of self-discovery. more

Author

Richard Siken
Richard Siken

Richard Siken is an American poet born in 1967. His poetry is known for its unique style and profound emotional expression, which has won him a wide audience. more

You May Also Like

“Sometimes it's not what you do differently it's what you do consistently. I approached solving my life’s problems from many different angles. I used to try to be perfect, not in the literal sense, but coasting right below in that realistic level of high performance. That was my desire. It did not happen though, yet that desire did not die. Ironically, as I fell into deeper adversity, it grew. As I dug for China, I knew the comeback would make the suffering worth it. It’s like what Viktor E. Frankl wrote in Man’s Search for Meaning, “In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.” I felt the meaning for my self imposed suffering was the honorable character I would later possess; it had to be.”

“The first time he saw her she was wearing a blue khaki uniform and a pair of shabby pigskin shoes - like those worn by high school students - under a pair of baggy pants. He would have sworn that she had come from the police department to check their residence permits. He was even more surprised when she opened her mouth - half the words that tumbled out were political phrases lifted straight from the newspaper. He had heard Wang Qiyao mention Jiang Lili and knew about her family background, but the woman before him did not conform to the description at all: he couldn't figure out which side of her was real and which was merely a show.”

“Shalom Civilization (The Sonnet) Without accountability there's no civilization, For it is the line between human and animal. Without integrity there's no civilization, For it is the line between human and vegetable. Without sanctity there's no civilization, For it is the line between sanity and savagery. Without amity there's no civilization, For it is the line between humanity and machinery. Without conscience there's no civilization, For it is the line between order and upheaval. Without character there's no civilization, For it is the line between life and survival. Civilization is a small word with a universe inside. To unfold it requires a species without divide.”

“What we were in the past is not important. What we are now is important. What we intend to make of ourselves in the future is vitally important. The unity between our character and our destiny is inseparable; the connection between our way of thinking and the course of events is unerring.”