Quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Things are pretty, graceful, rich, elegant, handsome, but until they speak to the imagination, not yet beautiful. This is the reason why beauty is still escaping out of all analysis. It is not yet possessed, it cannot be handled. It instantly deserts possession, and flies to an object in the horizon. If I could put my hand on the north star, would it be as beautiful? The sea is lovely, but when we bathe in it, the beauty forsakes all the near water. For the imagination and senses cannot be gratified at the same time.
Summary
This quote suggests that true beauty goes beyond mere physical appearance and is instead found in the connection it evokes with the imagination. The things that are visually appealing may possess qualities of being pretty, graceful, or elegant, but if they fail to stir the imagination, they do not achieve true beauty. Beauty defies explanation and cannot be owned or controlled; it is fleeting and gravitates towards something beyond reach. The quote also suggests that when we experience beauty directly with our senses, it becomes diluted, as the imagination and senses cannot be fully satisfied simultaneously.
Topics
Beauty
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