Severus Snape
Proud Member
I thought it'd be fun to share quotes we like with each other, at the very least to gain some insight about the people we admire or think are important, etc. Quotes have always been snippets of human consciousness people have found memorable enough to guard against the fading force of time, so that even centuries later, these golden utterances remain intact, and ever-relevant against the backdrop of a changing world as beacons of human wisdom, depth, emotion, etc.
Any quote from any source whatsoever is welcome, no explanations needed. They are yours to post, for whatever reason you see fit. If you want to give an explanation, however, go right ahead.
I'll start with one of my favourite quotes of all time:
"He is unfortunately so beautiful and wise, soulful and lordly, that I fear his life must fade away like a divine dream in this base world... You cannot imagine the magic of his regard: if he remains alive it will be a great miracle!" ~Richard Wagner, upon meeting King Ludwig II of Bavaria
King Ludwig II has always been one of my favourite historical figures. Regarded as "The Fairytale King," or even less flatteringly, as "Mad King Ludwig," he was a gentle and noble soul whose artistic vision in regards to architecture remains present to this day. He was the great patron of German opera genius Richard Wagner, without whom Wager would have been swallowed up by creditors for his various debts. They were like two sides of a single being, however--Ludwig made it possible for Wagner's vision to reach the stage, and Wagner's vision gave way to Ludwig's dreams and imagination, so that one was equally reliant upon the other. The two would remain lifelong friends, and I believe Wagner was the only soul who ever walked upon this Earth that understood King Ludwig II.
His quote rings true--the King was an ill fit for the world of German politics in the 19th century. The way Ludwig looked at life, it was in direct contrast to the Prussian mindset which dominated German politics at the time. He was a happy dream, the remnants of a world of higher things...he attempted to bring this down to Earth, but what a mistake that was, to dream that such beautiful things could last--but Wagner was right. It would be but a brief visage into a world of happiness and purity, quickly snatched away, an ephemeral vision. The one true miracle was having Ludwig live for as long as he did, and build the wonders he built.
He was declared mad by some, but there was nothing "mad" about King Ludwig. If anyone was mad, it was those ambitious politicians who sought power and got drunk on it, or the imperialists who thought it alright to invade foreign lands and enslave the natives--not kindly and gentle Ludwig, whose mind had no scope of any such things, nor the capacity to understand them. His world was permeated by great legends and lore, it was pure bliss. But these things never last, and so he died, under circumstances which remain mysterious to this day, after being dethroned and declared insane, stripped of his freedom.
Another great life cut short, another genius prematurely buried. I'm not sure what prompted me to write about this, but it touches me deeply, so I must have this as my first quote in this thread, because the most beautiful are always the first to go.
Any quote from any source whatsoever is welcome, no explanations needed. They are yours to post, for whatever reason you see fit. If you want to give an explanation, however, go right ahead.
I'll start with one of my favourite quotes of all time:
"He is unfortunately so beautiful and wise, soulful and lordly, that I fear his life must fade away like a divine dream in this base world... You cannot imagine the magic of his regard: if he remains alive it will be a great miracle!" ~Richard Wagner, upon meeting King Ludwig II of Bavaria
King Ludwig II has always been one of my favourite historical figures. Regarded as "The Fairytale King," or even less flatteringly, as "Mad King Ludwig," he was a gentle and noble soul whose artistic vision in regards to architecture remains present to this day. He was the great patron of German opera genius Richard Wagner, without whom Wager would have been swallowed up by creditors for his various debts. They were like two sides of a single being, however--Ludwig made it possible for Wagner's vision to reach the stage, and Wagner's vision gave way to Ludwig's dreams and imagination, so that one was equally reliant upon the other. The two would remain lifelong friends, and I believe Wagner was the only soul who ever walked upon this Earth that understood King Ludwig II.
His quote rings true--the King was an ill fit for the world of German politics in the 19th century. The way Ludwig looked at life, it was in direct contrast to the Prussian mindset which dominated German politics at the time. He was a happy dream, the remnants of a world of higher things...he attempted to bring this down to Earth, but what a mistake that was, to dream that such beautiful things could last--but Wagner was right. It would be but a brief visage into a world of happiness and purity, quickly snatched away, an ephemeral vision. The one true miracle was having Ludwig live for as long as he did, and build the wonders he built.
He was declared mad by some, but there was nothing "mad" about King Ludwig. If anyone was mad, it was those ambitious politicians who sought power and got drunk on it, or the imperialists who thought it alright to invade foreign lands and enslave the natives--not kindly and gentle Ludwig, whose mind had no scope of any such things, nor the capacity to understand them. His world was permeated by great legends and lore, it was pure bliss. But these things never last, and so he died, under circumstances which remain mysterious to this day, after being dethroned and declared insane, stripped of his freedom.
Another great life cut short, another genius prematurely buried. I'm not sure what prompted me to write about this, but it touches me deeply, so I must have this as my first quote in this thread, because the most beautiful are always the first to go.
