I had always said to myself that forty was the cut off point of my apprenticeship which may for some people sound like a very long one, but the novel as art is a middle-aged art.
Related quotes
The long, dull, monotonous years of middle-aged prosperity or middle-aged adversity are excellent campaigning weather for the devil.
quote by C.S. Lewis
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Middle Age For Man
The middle age once was after thirty,
Then after forty and now post fifty.
Now and then, all men agree on one point.
The middle age lasts till they reach seventy.
poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Europe to me is young people trying to appear middle-aged and middle-aged people trying to appear young.
quote by Mike Myers
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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There are two barriers that often prevent communication between the young and their elders. The first is middle-aged forgetfulness of the fact that they themselves are no longer young. The second is youthful ignorance of the fact that the middle aged are still alive.
quote by Jessamyn West
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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The Tea Shop
The girl in the tea shop
Is not so beautiful as she was,
The August has worn against her.
She does not get up the stairs so eagerly;
Yes, she also will turn middle-aged,
And the glow of youth that she spread about us
As she brought us our muffins
Will be spread about us no longer.
She also will turn middle-aged.
poem by Ezra Pound
Submitted by Dan Costinaş
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Auschwitz
Once I overheard a middle-aged Jewish woman
talking to her Rabbi
telling him of how she and a friend
travelled to Auschwitz
and finding so much sadness there
decided to do something happy
as if to spite the sadness.
So they danced on the railway line
leading to that camp of death-
two middle-aged women holding each other.
This to me say so much about the human spirit.
If I could I would paint a picture.
Will someone paint it for me please?
poem by Gillian Commerford
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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I don't have any children, I have four middle-aged people.
quote by Dick Van Dyke
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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In Silence No More
Aged 1
Aged 2
Aged 3
Aged 4
At 5 my life changed forever more,
Aged 6
Aged 7
Aged 8
Aged 9
By 10 he’d touched me a thousand times,
Aged 41
42
43
44
But now I’m not suffering in silence,
In silence anymore,
For now I’m chatting and talking,
Not crawling I’m walking,
Even though he’s still stalking,
I’m not suffering in silence,
Suffering in silence,
I’m not suffering in silence,
In silence no more.
poem by Darren Harris
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Growing Up In Public
Some people are into the power of power
The absolute corrupting power, that makes great men insane
While some people find their refreshment in action
The manipulation, encroachment and destruction of their inferiors
Growing up in public, growing up in public
Growing up in public, growing up in public with your pants down
Some people are into sadistic pleasures
They whet their desires and drool in your ears
Theyre quasi-effeminate characters in love with oral gratification
They edify your integrities, so they can play on your fears
Theyre gonna do you in public, cause youre growing up in public
Theyre gonna do it to you in public,
cause youre growing up in public with your pants down
Some people think being a man is unmanly
Some people think that the whole concepts a joke
But some people think being a man is the whole point
And then some people wish theyd never awoke
Up from a dream of nightmarish proportions
Down to a size neither regal nor calm
A prince hamlet caught the middle between reason and instinct
Caught in the middle with your pants down again
Caught in the middle, Im really caught in the middle
Im caught in the middle, caught in the middle deciding about you
song performed by by Lou Reed
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Point Of Know Return
I heard the men saying something
The captains tell they pay you well
And they said they need sailing men to
Show the way and leave today
Was it you that said
How long
How long
How long
Was it you that said "How long"
They said the sea turned so dark
That you know it's time to see the sign
And they say the point
Demons guard is an ocean grave for all the brave
Was it you that said
How long
How long
How long
How long to the point of know return
Your father
He said he needs you
Your mother
She said she loves you
Your brothers
They echo the words
"How far to the point of know return"
"Well how long"
Today I found a message floating
In the sea from you to me
You wrote that when you could see it
You cried with fear the point was near
Was it you that said "How long
To the point of Know Return
song performed by by Kansas
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Getting To The Point
Its out of control (out of control)
And theres nothing I can do now
Out of control (out of control)
Spinning softly through the blue now
And look beyond these walls
As the meaning starts to dawn
Its getting to the point
Getting to the point.
Its out of control (nothing I can do)
Like a fire that keeps on burning
And nobody knows (what Im going through)
And the thoughts just keep returning
And all you had to say
Was that you were gonna stay
Its getting to the point
Getting to the point.
Chorus:
Its getting to the point
Where nobody can stop it now
Its getting to the point
Of no return
And all that I can do
Is stand and watch it now
Watch it burn, burn, burn
Its getting to the point
Where reasons are forgotten
Its getting to the point
Where no one knows
And all that I can do
Is say Im sorry
But thats the way it goes...
Getting to the point.
Forever
Is a long, long way
Forever
Takes your breath away
Id like to talk about it, try to understand
Its getting to the point
Getting to the point.
Repeat chorus
Its getting to the point (getting to the point)
Getting to the point (getting to the point)
Its getting to the point (getting to the point)
Getting to the point.
song performed by by Electric Light Orchestra
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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People that are orthodox when they are young are in danger of being middle-aged all their lives.
quote by Walter Lippmann
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Of middle age the best that can be said is that a middle-aged person has likely learned how to have a little fun in spite of his troubles.
quote by Don Marquis
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Forever Saying Goodbye
we are forever saying goodbye
goodbye, goodbye, goodbye let me repeat
the child who has grown into a young man
would remain a fond memory, like how we remember
a childhood friend who was always at our side
the young man who has matured into the middle aged
will remember him as someone who have looked
for so many things in thirty years only to get
only some things; a trail of disappointments to
spice up his memory as he bade the young man goodbye
the middle aged suddenly discovers that he
is not as young anymore, his eyes, his legs,
his hair, his stamina have all started to nag to him
that they are not as before, taking duties
promptly and without shortcoming; they have
all taken a turn for the the middle aged
who will soon teach his children happiness is the
best medicine of all and that life should be
focussed on finding that without hurting anyone
the octogenarian takes over the the steps
of the middled age and they have slowed
so much sometimes he cannot even do it
without the help of someone or a stick
the octogenarian who will tell us that a life
of charity is better than one lived alone;
an all important lesson from the silver haired who will
soon bid goodbye to himself, the world and us all
poem by John Tiong Chunghoo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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The Visitor
A blind middle aged man
sat alone in his new flat
listening to the silence;
he often sat like that.
He sensed someone close
and strained to hear.
“Hello, who’s there?
I know you’re here”
The silence remained unbroken,
but he knew he wasn’t alone.
“I ask again, what do you want;
why are you in my home? ”
He became anxiously fidgety,
“Why don’t you speak,
have you nothing to say,
or do you fear the weak?
You must know I’m blind
and I’m no threat to you,
so why don’t you speak
like normal people do?
Do you have trouble hearing?
Is that why you don’t respond?
Well, I’ll do the talking
and you just tag along.
Because I’m not convinced
that anyone’s really there
I’ll talk as if you are,
so interrupt when you care.
Are you a lonely guy like me
with no friends to talk to,
and do you spend your days
with nothing at all to do? ”
Have you been here long;
I mean here in my room?
I definitely know you’re here,
I hope you’ll speak soon? ”
“I’ve been here for that long
I can’t recall when I came,
but it was so very long ago
and every day’s the same.”
“You sound very sad and lonely,
as though life’s a drag for you.
Isn’t there any chance that life
will get better in a day or two? ”
“I’ve told you every day’s the same
and nothings going to change.
Nobody can do anything for me,
so nothing can be rearranged.”
“Don’t give up hope just yet
I’ll offer a helping hand.
I don’t know exactly how,
so help me to understand? ”
“There’s nothing anyone can do
the living or the dead.
I don’t have a place to live,
or anywhere to lay my head.
There’s no one I can talk with,
you’re the first for many a year
and if you had eyes to see
you certainly wouldn’t be here! ”
poem by Orlando Belo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Riff & Roll
Hey, hey you
Lift your face off down the ground
Hey, hey you
With the junkies all around
Hey, hey you
Would your feeling's sound the sad
Hey, hey you
With your face on the flame
Hey, hey you
This is all a silly game
Hey, hey you
Would your feelings sound the same
Well, you know you got that love
Baby, inspiration
And you got that old generation
With your feet down
Down on the ground
And then you sing songs baby
When you know who's around
Say baby
Hey, hey wait
Whatcha gonna do with that whore
Get your brains scraped off the floor
Hey, hey you
What you got in the door
Yeah, hey, hey you
You gotta let it go
Hey, hey you
What's on in the middle east
Hey, hey you
Why don't you take another piece
' hey, hey you
Would your feelings sound the same
That's it, stay around....
One, two, three, four
Hey, hey you
With that face on the fire
Hey, hey you
Sing your ass of in the choir
Hey, hey you
Don't let things go too long
Too long, too long
Hey, hey you
With your ass on the ground
Hey, hey you
Never say you get the sound
Hey, hey you
What did you think of the sound
song performed by by Aerosmith
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Sounds of wedding bells
They waited sixteen long years
For the sounds of wedding bells
The wedding bells ring, dingdong, dingdong
The wedding bells sing, dingdong, dingdong
For all to hear strikingly clear
Hold your silence and wish them well
It is the sounds of wedding bells
This aged love birds have been waiting for
Once unofficial honeys
From this point declared official
In this matrimonial ceremony
I wish them well
Their braveness is my acknowledgement
Their enduring fight is my guiding light
Their victory will go down in history
Together they compliment and compliment
Each other like a perfect pair of fitting shoes
One way or another they already knew
Long before the sound of wedding bells
They would love each other till the very end
So listen to the sound of wedding bells
As they sing dingdong, dingdong
Perhaps for you it wouldn’t be long!
Copyright 2005 - Sylvia Chidi
poem by Sylvia Chidi
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Riff Roll
Hey, hey you
Lift your face off down the ground
Hey, hey you
With the junkies all around
Hey, hey you
Would your feelings sound the sad
Hey, hey you
With your face on the flame
Hey, hey you
This is all a silly game
Hey, hey you
Would your feelings sound the same
Well, you know you got that love
Baby, inspiration
And you got that old generation
With your feet down
Down on the ground
And then you sing songs baby
When you know whos around
Say baby
Hey, hey wait
Whatcha gonna do with that whore
Get your brains scraped off the floor
Hey, hey you
What you got in the door
Yeah, hey, hey you
You gotta let it go
Hey, hey you
Whats on in the middle east
Hey, hey you
Why dont you take another piece
hey, hey you
Would your feelings sound the same
Thats it, stay around....
One, two, three, four
Hey, hey you
With that face on the fire
Hey, hey you
Sing your ass of in the choir
Hey, hey you
Dont let things go too long
Too long, too long
Hey, hey you
With your ass on the ground
Hey, hey you
Never say you get the sound
Hey, hey you
What did you think of the sound
song performed by by Aerosmith
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A child-like man is not a man whose development has been arrested; on the contrary, he is a man who has given himself a chance of continuing to develop long after most adults have muffled themselves in the cocoon of middle-aged habit and convention.
quote by Aldous Huxley
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Chinese Cafe/unchained Melody
Caught in the middle
Carol, were middle class
Were middle aged
We were wild in the old days
Birth of rock n roll days
Now your kids are coming up straight
And my childs a stranger
I bore her
But, I could not raise her
Nothing lasts for long--
Nothing lasts for long--
Nothing lasts for long--
Down at the chinese cafe
Wed be dreaming on our dimes
Wed be playing--
Oh my love, my darling
One more time
Uranium money
Is booming in the old home town now
Its putting up sleek concrete
Tearing the old landmarks down now
Paving over brave little parks
Ripping off indian land again
How long--how long
Short sighted business men
Ah, nothing lasts for long--
Nothing lasts for long--
Nothing lasts for long--
Down at the chinese cafe
Wed be dreaming on our dimes
Wed be playing--
You give your love, so sweetly
One more time
Christmas is sparkling
Out on carols lawn
This girl of my childhood games
With kids nearly grown and gone
Grown so fast
Like the turn of a page
We look like our mothers did now
When we were those kids age
Nothing lasts for long--
Nothing lasts for long--
Nothing lasts for long--
Down at the chinese cafe
Wed be dreaming on our dimes
Wed be playing--
Oh my love, my darling
Ive hungered for your touch
A long lonely time
And time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me.
(time goes--where does the time go--
I wonder where the time goes. . .)
song performed by by Joni Mitchell
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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