Wole Soyinka

My horizon on humanity is enlarged by reading the writers of poems, seeing a painting, listening to some music, some opera, which has nothing at all to do with a volatile human condition or struggle or whatever. It enriches me as a human being.

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The writers are writing human beings, and they're writing about the human condition and how difficult it is to function in that condition. I think it's one of the charms of the show, the idea of redemption and working towards becoming better people, for everybody involved.

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A pencil sketch of Mozart

It’s a snapshot, except
before the age of the camera
yet more of a decisive moment
than any posed painting;

as any photographer,
lighting director, would see,
he’s next to you, could be
round about the fifth row back
of the stalls;

looking so straight ahead
that it doesn’t seem to be
the stage box; and it must surely be
a grand theatre, the lighting’s strong

on his white neck-stock,
his powdered hair, even catching
the lower white of his focussed eye;
he all there, he’s all here, and
attentive as a critic; the opera,
as it surely is, is playing and engages
all his faculties; and yet

there’s an appreciation
holding his lips far from the
childish joke, the poverty, the family deaths,
or even from the unimaginable creation
of music that speaks of something
deep in human hearts, speaks
of something beyond the human heart.

He’s listening to the music
as if he’d never heard it before yet
you can see it’s all inside him, too -
whatever ‘inside’ means
to genius;

it’s Mozart, there beside you
as you sketch him; as the
music you’re not watching
as you watch him and your pencil -

the music is telling you
what life’s about; and more.
Back to the sketch, with all the care you muster -
this will be the record for a thousand years
of watching Mozart listening
to the music of his self.

*

(revised)

poem by Michael ShepherdReport problemRelated quotes
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New Way To Be Human

Every day it's the same thing
Another trend has begun
Hey kids, this might be the one
It's a race to be noticed
And it's leaving us numb
Hey kids, we can't be the ones
With all of our fashion, we're still incomplete
The God of redemption can break our routine
There's a new way to be human
It's nothing we've ever been
There's a new way to be human, new way to be human
And where is our inspiration
When all the heroes are gone
Hey kids, could we be the ones?
Cuz nobody's famous, and nobody's fine
We all need forgiveness, we're longing inside
There's a new way to be human
It's nothing we've ever been
There's a new way to be human
Spreading under my skin
There's a new way to be human
Where divinity bends
It's a new way to be human, new way to be human
I'll find your love across my impossible space
You've created me, take me out of me into
A new way to be human, to a new way to be human
You're a new way to be human
Where my humanity bends
To a new way to be human
Redemption begins
You're a new way to be human
You're a new way to be human
You're the only way to be human
You're a new way to be human

song performed by by SwitchfootReport problemRelated quotes
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Opera Dei- Mozart to the life

It’s a snapshot, except
before the age of the camera
yet more of a decisive moment
than any posed painting

as any photographer,
lighting director, would see,
he’s next to you, could be
round about the fifth row back
of the stalls; looking so straight ahead
that it doesn’t seem to be
the stage box; and it must surely be
a grand theatre, the lighting’s strong

on his white neck-stock,
his powdered hair, even catching
the lower white of his focussed eye;
he all there, he’s all here, and
attentive as a critic; the opera,
as it surely is, is playing and engages
all his faculties; and yet

there’s an appreciation
holding his lips far from the
childish joke, the poverty, the family deaths,
or even from the unimaginable creation
of music that speaks of something
deep in human hearts, speaks
of something beyond the human heart.

He’s listening to the music
as if he’d never heard it before yet
you can see it’s all inside him, too -
whatever ‘inside’ could mean
to genius;

it’s Mozart, there beside you
as you sketch him, as the
music you’re not watching
as you watch him and your pencil
x-rays your very soul and
finds it wholly good.

So I’d like to thank him
in his celebration, our celebration,
for telling me just what it’s like
to be told in music
what life’s about, and
more.

poem by Michael ShepherdReport problemRelated quotes
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Untrammeled

Human dreams,
like the stars
in a dark sky,
hang there burning...
beyond reach.
Perhaps, already long gone.
We are want to ask of life,
Why?
But life does not answer.
Perhaps, it has no ears;
or no voice.
Perhaps, we are the
voice.
Perhaps, we
are not listening.
Tis the one true condition;
to be human is to understand,
not everything is obtainable...
Alone.

This may just be the only thing
that surprises God.
To be human,
is to fail... often.
Which ofcourse means,
that we keep trying.

One wonders...
Why?

poem by Smoky HossReport problemRelated quotes
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The Murder Of Humanity

Once there lived two friends,
human and humanity.
human was loving and caring,
while humanity spread peace and brotherhood.
under their friendship tree,
everyone was happy and merry.
in the same world lived Hate and Greed, full of sinister.
very different from all the other.
who were always jealous of human and humanity,
and they tried hard to part the friends
and throw them away in different ends.
the did succeed,
in the heart of human they planted hate-seed.
soon the seed started to rear,
and human was left with no love and care.
it turned furious towards humanity.
all their friendship woes turned into enmity.
hate and greed infected human one after the other.
and made human to commit the murder.
end of peace was marked with the murder of humanity,
in some lost corner is the grave of humanity,
now the world knows only hate, greed and enmity.

poem by Arfa IrisReport problemRelated quotes
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The New York City Ballet is always about the realm of possibilities, the realm of what the human body can do, what the human spirit can do. And it's about listening, it's about listening to remarkable music and how we respond to that.

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The Song Of Mankind

If human fails to help humanity..
Who will think for humanity
With a feeling of li’l sympathy
Won’t be a matter of indignity…? ? ?

If human fails to help humanity
Who will think for humanity
With a feeling of li’l sympathy
Won’t be a matter of indignity…? ? ?

If human fails to help humanity…..

When a man sells his fellow men..
When a man bids for fellow men..

When a man sells his fellow men..
When a man bids for fellow men..
Uncivilized and uncultured….
Won’t be a matter of indignity? ?

If human fails to help humanity
Who will think for humanity
With a feeling of li’l sympathy
Won’t be a matter of indignity…? ? ?

If human fails to help humanity…

Let us stretch our hands..
To help the needy and poor..
With a feeling of warmth
We can make it sure! ! !

Let us stretch our hands..
To help the needy and poor..
With a feeling of warmth
We can make it sure! ! !

If a man cant be a human…
How would a demon become human? ?

If a man cant be a human…
How would a demon become human? ?
And If a demon becomes human
Won’t be a matter of indignity? ?

(Originally composed in Assamese as ‘Manuhe Manuhor Babe’ by Dr. Bhupen Hazarika)

(Set to original tune)

poem by Kamal Jyoti BorahReport problemRelated quotes
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Just Human Tho’ I Am

Just human tho’ I am,
Achieve, I can great things;
A lot is possible by me,
If only I try and see!

Just human tho’ I am,
My intellect good, if I can
Put to use rightly,
Wonderful results will see!

Just human tho’ I am,
Reset records, I can,
If curiosity be my drive,
And I work like bees in a hive!

Just human tho’ I am,
My limit is but the sky;
With God as Helper-guide,
By His tenets, I abide.

Just human tho’ I am,
Hurdles many I’ll see;
By working night and day,
Success will follow, Aye!

Just human tho’ I am,
Nothing impossible can be;
Tho’ failures show their head,
Before I can be dead!

Just human tho’ I am,
I must ne’er give up yet;
For laurels, acclaim comes
Like ripe and healthy plums!

Just human tho’ I am,
And life a struggle is;
If I face it bravely,
Will be a cause worthy!

poem by John CelesReport problemRelated quotes
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Not Only Human

Morning is almost here - let it wait
I just want to lie here awhile, tempting fate
I dont think I could breathe now with you gone
But its not weakness its just something Ive begun
Maybe theres a light thats always on
Maybe were not only human, maybe
Maybe theres a light thats always on
And were not only human
When youre sleeping your ceramic
Youre surrounded by little stars
Every shimmer is a searchlight
Every planet is ours
Change the street change the decade
Still the longings left inside
But why am I too small to carry you?
Why does twilight make me cry?
Maybe theres a light thats always on
Maybe were not only human, maybe
Maybe theres a light thats always on
And were not only human
When all is said and done
When all the weight is gone
When all is said and done
When all the weight is gone
Were not only human
Life is something set to music
I can hear it when Im sad
Theres a chord in every muscle
Every kiss you ever had
Theres a power when youre near me
In our heads or in our bones
I know nothing but Im guessing
When we die were not alone
Maybe theres a light thats always on
Maybe were not only human, maybe
Maybe theres a light thats always on
And were not only human
When all is said and done
When all the weight is gone
When all is said and done
When all the weight is gone
Were not only human
Not only human
Not only human
Not only human
Not only, yeah, human.
No, human, human.
Human.

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Eugene Ionesco

No society has been able to abolish human sadness, no political system can deliver us from the pain of living, from our fear of death, our thirst for the absolute. It is the human condition that directs the social condition, not vice versa.

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I like contemporary American literature and I like biographies and I like jazz and I like baseball and I like writers who write about the human condition and sci-fi is just something that I happened into.

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The Moonlight

The moonlight hated through the atmosphere
As a glare of human understanding
Rather than a painting of knowledge,
Other than that picture
A residence has more pride and reading of joy.

The joy of living is like the art of the ocean,
And repetition is godly, as the waves are happy.
The moonlight hated the seas,
As the moon walked the sun’s horizon.
A homely seaman whilst being one is rather loved by the sea.

poem by Naveed AkramReport problemRelated quotes
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That was my way, and I also use the music after five years, I started hearing opera, opera, it was very good instrument to keep the spirit very strong because you feel like you are yourself singing opera, and I used to hear a lot of opera, they send me tapes.

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There's a sadness to the human condition that I think music is good for. It gives a counterpoint to the visual beauty, and adds depth to pictures that they wouldn't have if the music wasn't there.

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Flock together to defeat Evil

Swarming you from out and in
Rising in all around
Come to advance
To defeat the evil
Possessed in the land

The earth including you
Goes into a pit of darkness
In your own land
While painting black oil
On the justice and humanity

Even in impossibility
The Sky brings thunder
The Sea brings storms
The wind brings cyclones
To be convinced the nature

Realized nature around you
Looking at everything
Till comes the time
If you are not a human being

You can see if you are wise and clam
Then you will be said by nature
Only you can change
Within yourself and around you
If you are ready

If you are ready
Put a side your egoism
Evil covets to creep into that
And you are decayed unknown

So you subject
Remove your old clothes and masks
And flock together to struggle
And to drive away the evil
For the freedom
With humanity and dignity

poem by Udaya R. TennakoonReport problemRelated quotes
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A Human Body

Words and music by roger taylor
They were talking in whispers
In bear skins and fur
Captain scott and his heroes to be
To have laboured so long
To have made it this far
Ooh its been such a long ride
Ooh you know its been a long way
For a human human human
For a human body you see
Can you believe it happens?
Now it happens here
Do you believe do you believe or really care
Can you believe it happens?
Now it happens here
To a human human
With a human body you see
There aint nobody gets out of this moonlight
Today is surprisingly fair
Oh oh oh oh woo woo
Weve got problems the lone ranger cant fix
The invisible man couldnt see
It takes a tough guy
To learn some new tricks
Ooh it takes such a long time
Ooh its been such a long way
For a human human human
For a human body you see
Can you believe it happens?
Now it happens here
Do you believe do you believe or really care
Can you believe it happens?
Now it happens here
To a human human
With a human body you see
You know its been such a long while
Its been such a long while
Takes such a long time
It takes such a long time
Its been such a long way
Been such a long way
Its been such a long while
Been such a long while
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!
Its gonna be a long ride

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Almost Human

Ahh, ha
Im almost human, cant help feelin strange
The moon is out, I think Im gonna change
Youre so smooth and tender, a living, breathing dream
Ive got to have you, baby, Im listenin for your scream
Im almost human, Im almost a man
Im almost human, ooh
Im almost human, baby please dont run away
cause wherever you run, Ill be a scream away
Im very hungry and youre what Im thinkin of
Ooh baby, baby, baby, so hungry for your love
Im almost human, oh, almost a man
Im almost human, whoo
Im very hungry and youre what Im thinkin of
Ooh baby, baby, baby, so hungry for your love
Im almost human, Im almost a man
Im almost human, Im almost human
Im almost human, Im almost human
Im almost human, almost, almost, almost a man
Im almost human
Almost, almost, almost, almost, almost, almost human
Im almost human, Im almost human
Im almost human, almost a man
Im almost human, almost, almost, almost
Im almost human

song performed by by KissReport problemRelated quotes
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A jealous lover of human liberty, deeming it the absolute condition of all that we admire and respect in humanity, I reverse the phrase of Voltaire, and say that, if God really existed, it would be necessary to abolish him.

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Religion

I AM no priest of crooks nor creeds,
For human wants and human needs
Are more to me than prophets' deeds;
And human tears and human cares
Affect me more than human prayers.
Go, cease your wail, lugubrious saint!
You fret high Heaven with your plaint.
Is this the 'Christian's joy' you paint?
Is this the Christian's boasted bliss?
Avails your faith no more than this?
Take up your arms, come out with me,
Let Heav'n alone; humanity
Needs more and Heaven less from thee.
With pity for mankind look 'round;
Help them to rise — and Heaven is found.

poem by Paul Laurence DunbarReport problemRelated quotes
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