Category: Poetry

Life lessons, Literature, Philosophy, Poetry, Quotes

Best Of – Fernando Pessoa’s Thoughts on Life, Dreams, and Love | Art of Saudade

During those hours when the landscape forms a halo around Life, and dream is simply a matter of dreaming oneself, I created, O my love, in the silence of my disquiet, this strange book like a series of arches opening up at the end of some abandoned avenue. Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet To write is to live. To dream is to find yourself. … Continue reading Best Of – Fernando Pessoa’s Thoughts on Life, Dreams, and Love | Art of Saudade

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Culture, History, Literature, Poetry

Writing Poetry In A Minority Language: The Story Of The Occitan Poets | Art of Saudade

If life in the Middle Ages was rough, imagine being a speaker of a regional language in 20th century France, when the government banned the use of minority languages. For Occitan poets, the struggle to preserve their authentic language and culture only got harder. The Occitan language is a Romance language spoken in Southern France. However, it has no official status in France. In the … Continue reading Writing Poetry In A Minority Language: The Story Of The Occitan Poets | Art of Saudade

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Culture, Poetry, Travel

24 Hours In Béziers | Discover One Of France’s Oldest Towns In Only One Day | Art of Saudade

Ah, southern France… the scents of the Mediterranean, the fabulous history, and the architecture remaining its most loyal witness. Today I wonder if we can discover Béziers, one of the most beautiful historical towns in the South of France… in less than 24 hours! C’est parti ! You can arrive in Béziers by plane (yep, the town has an airport!), car, bus, or train (the … Continue reading 24 Hours In Béziers | Discover One Of France’s Oldest Towns In Only One Day | Art of Saudade

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Culture, History, Literature, Poetry, Quotes

Reinventing The World Through Visual Poetry With Guillaume Apollinaire | Art of Saudade

Looking for a safe place in a world ravaged by wars, the Polish teenager Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary de Wąż-Kostrowicki (you get a cookie if you pronounce it right) was roaming around Europe until he finally settled in Paris in the early 20th century. Little did he know that more misery was yet to come. The charming French capital was the cradle of art back … Continue reading Reinventing The World Through Visual Poetry With Guillaume Apollinaire | Art of Saudade

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Life lessons, Literature, Philosophy, Poetry, Quotes

Emily Dickinson’s Lesson On The Real Value Of Things | Art of Saudade

“Water, is taught by thirst. Land — by the Oceans passed. Transport — by throe — Peace — by its battles told — Love, by Memorial Mold — Birds, by the Snow.“ – Emily Dickinson We only learn the real value of things when we lose them. Only when we are thirsty can we truly appreciate Water. People who survive a shipwreck get to know … Continue reading Emily Dickinson’s Lesson On The Real Value Of Things | Art of Saudade

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Languages, Literature, Poetry, Quotes, Translation

Rumi: Lost in translation

I believe in love at first read. Rumi’s poems always felt like a healing balm to my soul. I remember the day I realized I couldn’t rely on English translations of Rumi’s works. I was like Rumi in this picture. We know that no translation can ever replace the original and we are unfortunately unable to learn all the languages in the world. Many literary … Continue reading Rumi: Lost in translation

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Literature, Philosophy, Poetry, Quotes

T.S. Eliot and Sufism

Have you spotted any mystical elements in T.S. Eliot’s poetry?  Four Quartets, a set of four poems published in 1943, is one of Eliot’s biggest masterpieces and poetic meditations. Time present and time past Are both perhaps present in time future, And time future contained in time past. If all time is eternally present All time is unredeemable. What might have been is an abstraction … Continue reading T.S. Eliot and Sufism

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Literature, Philosophy, Poetry, Quotes

Rumi and Shams: a love story

Why should I seek? I am the same as He. His essence speaks through me. I have been looking for myself! In the heart of 13th-century Konya, Turkey, the meeting of two luminaries—Rumi, the celebrated Persian poet, and Shams, the enigmatic mystic from Tabriz—marked the beginning of a profound spiritual journey that continues to inspire seekers of truth and enlightenment to this day.Shams means sun … Continue reading Rumi and Shams: a love story

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Culture, Life lessons, Literature, Philosophy, Poetry, Quotes

Rumi’s Dance

Rumi’s poetry is based on Sufi mysticism, spirituality and most importantly, love. Sufis dance “like nobody’s watching, love like they’ve never been hurt and live like it’s heaven on earth”, as a wise man once said. However, according to Sufism, there is indeed someone watching – God, and love can never hurt since there is no love without sacrifice. But Sufis dance like there is … Continue reading Rumi’s Dance

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Literature, Poetry, Quotes

150 years – Paul Valéry (October 30, 1871 – July 20, 1945)

One of the best French poets, Paul Valéry, was born on this day in 1871. In addition to his poems, he also wrote philosophical essays. After an existential crisis in his twenties, Paul Valéry stopped writing and experienced writer’s block, a well-known phenomenon in the life of many classic authors. His salvation, you may ask? Poetry. Here are some of his quotes on his beloved … Continue reading 150 years – Paul Valéry (October 30, 1871 – July 20, 1945)

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