“The world is charged with the grandeur of God.” – Louise Glück
This quote by Louise Glück perfectly encapsulates her worldview as a poet. She has always been drawn to the natural world and believes that it is a manifestation of the divine.
Her poems are filled with images of nature, and she often writes about the connections between humans and the environment. In this blog post, we will explore some of her most famous quotes on poetry, love, and life.
About Louise Glück
Louise Elisabeth Glück, a poet and essayist born on April 22, 1943, is an American. She has received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Her other honors include the Pulitzer Prize, National Humanities Medal, National Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Award, and Bollingen Prize. She served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 2003 to 2004.
Glück was born and raised in New York City. She began to have anorexia nervosa while in high school and subsequently recovered from it.
She did not get a degree from either Sarah Lawrence College or Columbia University, although she did study there. She has taught poetry at several colleges and universities on both coasts.
Glück is frequently regarded as an autobiographical poet; her work is recognized for its emotional intensity and frequent use of mythology or natural imagery to reflect on personal experiences and contemporary life.
Her poetry has been used to shed light on subjects like trauma, desire, and nature. As a result of this, they have gained renown for their direct portrayals of sadness and isolation.
Here are 44 stunning Louise Glück quotes
It’s hard to overestimate the influence of Louise Glück on American poetry. A Pulitzer Prize winner and recipient of the National Book Award, Glück has been writing gorgeous verses for over 50 years.
If you’re not familiar with her work, now is a great time to start exploring it – and what better way than by reading some of her best quotes?
Here are 44 gems from one of America’s most brilliant poets. Enjoy!
1. “Even before you touched me, I belonged to you; all you had to do was look at me.”
There’s something special about the moment you lay eyes on the person you’re going to spend the rest of your life with. In that instant, you know that your life will never be the same.
Time seems to stand still as you drink in every detail of their face, and you can’t help but wonder how you ever managed to exist without them.
Even though you’ve only just met them, you feel like you’ve known them forever. And in a way, you have.
Because even before you touched them, they belonged to you; all you had to do was look at them.
2. “Poetry is not a healing act; it is an act of truth.”
3. “You saved me, you should remember me.”
4. “What was difficult was the travel, which, on arrival, is forgotten.”
The travel was the hardest part, but once we arrived, it was all forgotten. The excitement of being in a new place, and the adventure of exploring everything for the first time were enough to outweigh any exhaustion from the journey.
Now that I look back on it, I can see how much fun it was. There were always new things to see and do, and it was a great way to bond with my family.
Even though it was tough at times, I’m glad we made an effort to travel and explore the world together. Those are experiences that I’ll always cherish.
5. “Intense love always leads to mourning.”
6. “What others found in art, I found in nature. What others found in human love, I found in nature.”
7. “The soul is silent. If it speaks at all, it speaks in dreams.”
Dreams have been a source of fascination for people throughout history. They have been variously interpreted as glimpses into the future, messages from the divine, or simply the product of a restless mind.
However, many people believe that dreams are a way for the soul to communicate with the outside world. According to this view, the soul is silent in waking life, but it speaks through dreams.
This idea has resonated with many people throughout history, and it continues to inspire new interpretations of the meaning of dreams.
Whether or not the soul is actually speaking in dreams, there is no doubt that they continue to be a source of fascination and mystery.
8. “To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
9. “The soul is silent. If it speaks at all, it speaks in dreams.”
10. “You must be taught to love me. Human beings must be taught to love
silence and darkness.”
11. “Sounds weren’t coming out of my mouth. And yet they were in my head, expressed, possibly, as something less exact, thought perhaps, though at the time they still seemed like sounds to me.”
12. “You have no idea how shocking it is to a child when something continuous stops.”
As any parent knows, children thrive on routine. They feel safe and secure when they know what to expect each day, and they often become upset when their routines are disrupted.
To a child, the world is a confusing and chaotic place. Having a regular routine helps to provide a sense of order and stability. It gives them a chance to predict and prepare for what comes next, which can be a huge relief in an unpredictable world.
Of course, there will always be times when routines must be changed or interrupted. But whenever possible, it’s important to maintain a sense of continuity for our children. They may not always show it, but they depend on it.
13. “In his tent, Achilles grieved with his whole being, and the gods saw he was a man already dead, a victim of the part that loved, the part that was mortal.”
14. “From the beginning of time, in childhood, I thought that pain meant I was not loved. It meant I loved.”
15. “Go ahead: say what you’re thinking. The garden is not the real world. Machines are the real world.”
On the one hand, gardens are clearly not the “real world” in the sense that they are not places where we live or work or conduct most of our business.
However, I would argue that gardens are actually more real than machines because they are natural places where we can connect with the earth and with other living things.
In a garden, we can slow down and appreciate the beauty of a flower or the wonder of a butterfly. We can feel the wind on our skin and smell the fragrance of a rose.
In other words, gardens help us to connect with the natural world, which is something that machines will never be able to do.
16. “I am tired of having hands she said I want wings —But what will you do without your hands to be human? I am tired of humans, she said I want to live on the sun —”
17. “Why love what you will lose? There is nothing else to love.”
18. “The sound of the sea— just memory now.”
19. “If you can’t read, my sister said, can you be happy?”
20. “Love is absence.”
Love is absence. It’s being away from the person you love. It’s longing for their return. It’s a sweet pain of missing them. It’s the hope that keeps you going. It’s what makes the heart grow fonder. Love is absence.
And it’s the most beautiful thing in the world. when they’re finally back in your arms, all the pain, all the longing, all the missing fades away into nothingness. And you’re left with only the love.
That’s what love is. The absence of those we love. And it’s worth every second of pain.
21. “No one’s despair is like my despair–”
22. “She has the look of one who seeks some greater and destroying passion”
23. “It had occurred to me that all human beings are divided into those who wish to move forward and those who wish to go back.”
As I was walking through the park, I noticed two groups of people. The first group was sitting on the bench, talking and laughing. They looked content and happy. The second group was running on the path, moving forward with purpose.
It occurred to me that all human beings are divided into those who wish to move forward and those who wish to go back. The people on the bench were content with their lives and didn’t want to change anything.
They were comfortable with where they were at and didn’t see the need to strive for something more. On the other hand, the people running on the path were ambitious and driven.
They were constantly moving forward and pushing themselves to reach their goals. It’s fascinating to think about how different we all are and what motivates us to keep going.
For some, it’s the comfort of familiarity, while for others, it’s the thrill of adventure. Whatever it is that drives us; it’s what makes us human.
24. “With what do you fill an empty life?”
25. “…whatever/ returns from oblivion/ returns to find a voice.”
26. “At first, I saw you everywhere. Now only in certain things, at longer intervals.”
At first, I saw you everywhere. In the sun’s rays spilling through the trees, in the curve of a smile, in the tilt of a head.
Now only in certain things, at longer intervals. In a half-finished novel abandoned on a park bench, in a song on the radio, in the way strangers’ hands brush as they reach for the same cup of coffee.
But I still see you, even if it’s not as often as I used to. And each time I see you, it feels like coming home.
27. “You must change your life.”
28. “It is terrible to be alone. I don’t mean to live alone—to be alone, where no one hears you.”
29. “I thought my life was over, and my heart was broken.
I thought my life was over when my heart was broken. I was so sure that I would never love again. I was wrong. I met someone who completely changed my perspective on love.
They showed me that love isn’t always easy, but it’s worth fighting for. I realized that I was capable of loving again, and my life was transformed.
I am now happier than I ever thought possible, and I am grateful for the second chance at love that I received.
30. “Darkness overswept the land and on the sea the night floated strapped to a slab of wood”
31. “The unsaid, for me, exerts great power…”
32. “…what death claims it does not abandon.”
Death is an inevitable part of life. It is the one thing that we all have in common, and it is something that we will all experience one day. While death is often seen as a negative thing, it is also an essential part of life.
Death claims us when our time is up, but it does not abandon us. We are always with death, even when we are living. It is the thing that allows us to appreciate life more. Without death, life would be meaningless.
It is because of death that we cherish every moment and live each day to the fullest.
33. “I could live almost completely in imagination.”
34. “Living things don’t all require light to the same degree. Some of us make our own light”
35. “Is it possible to miss the opportunity of one’s life?”
36. “We are all of us in this room still waiting to be transformed”
It’s an exciting time to be alive. Every day, it seems, there’s a new breakthrough in science or technology that has the potential to change the world. And we are all of us in this room still waiting to be transformed.
Whether it’s a new medical treatment that can cure a previously incurable disease or a new energy source that can finally end our reliance on fossil fuels, we all have reason to hope that our best days are still ahead of us.
So let’s embrace the future with open hearts and minds, and let’s work together to make sure that the world we hand down to our children is one that is better than the one we inherited from our parents.
37. “It is very difficult to win. It’s not in my script.”
38. “I’m awake; I am in the world-I expect no further assurance.”
When I first read these words, they resonated with me on a deep level. To be truly awake is to be present at the moment, without any preconceived notions or expectations. It is to see the world as it is, not as we want it to be.
And while it can be frightening to let go of our illusions, it is also incredibly liberating. These words remind me that each moment is a new opportunity to wake up to the world around us.
They remind me to be open to new experiences and new perspectives. They remind me that life is precious and that we should savor every moment.
So let us all remember these words the next time we find ourselves lost in thought. Let us use them as a reminder to wake up and truly see the world around us.
39. No protection, no promise.”
40. “To raise the veil. To see what you’re saying goodbye to.”
41. “It does me no good to be good to me now”
Throughout my life, I’ve been told again and again that it’s important to be good to myself. That I need to put my needs first and take care of myself before anything else. And for a long time, I believed that was true.
But then I realized that if I’m only ever focused on taking care of myself, what kind of example am I setting for others? How can I expect them to be good to me if I’m not good to them first?
So now I try to focus on being good to others, even when it’s not convenient for me. Because I know that the more good I do in the world, the more likely it is that someone will return the favor when I need it.
So while it may not seem like it makes sense at the moment, “it does me no good to be good to me now.” because eventually, my goodness will come back around.
42. “At the end of my suffering, there was a door”
43. “There is no such thing as a perfect poem, only good ones.”
44. “We look at the world once, in childhood. The rest is memory.”
Childhood is a time of exploration and discovery when we learn about the world around us. Our early experiences shape our view of the world and how we interact with it.
We may not remember every detail of our childhood, but the things that we do remember can stay with us for a lifetime.
That’s why it’s so important to make sure that children have positive experiences during their formative years. It’s through these experiences that they will develop into happy, well-adjusted adults.
Let’s Wind Up…
Louise Glück is one of the most celebrated and renowned American poets of our time. Her words are insightful, poetic, and often provide a unique perspective on life.
We hope you enjoyed reading these 44 quotes as much as we enjoyed putting them together for you.
What’s your favorite quote? Let us know in the comments below!