Literature and You

My favorite line of poetry is from Rainer Maria Rilke in "The Archaic Torso of Apollo:"

for here there is no place

that does not see you. You must change your life.

Rilke tells us what art does to you, the individual. It sees you. You cannot hide from it. Great literature exposes you to yourself, showing you everything about yourself. "here there is no place that does not see you." There is no hiding, no acting, no lying: you are exposed. The literature shows you to yourself.

When you read great literature, there is no place that does not see you. It tells you what you are, what you are not, and what you should strive to be.

"for here there is no place that does not see you. You must change your life."

It was after watching several episodes of Nip/Tuck that I came to an understanding of the definition and purpose of art.

Great art should inspire you to be something better than what you are.

As Rainer Maria Rilke may be saying in "The Archaic Torso of Apollo." Enjoy.