Jean Cocteau Quotes

Poetry is a religion without hope. The poet exhausts himself in its service, knowing that, in the long run, a masterpiece is nothing but the performance of a trained dog on very shaky ground.

Accuracy is vexing to a crowd of would-be fantasizers. Hasn't our age coined the term "escapism," when in fact the only way to escape oneself is to allow oneself to be invaded?

Beauty is always the result of an accident. Of a violent lapse between acquired habits and those yet to be acquired. It baffles and disgusts. It may even horrify. Once the new habit has been acquired, the accident ceases to be an accident. It becomes classical and loses its shock value.

Poetry, being elegance itself, cannot hope to achieve visibility. In that case, you ask me, of what use is it? Of no use. Who will see it? No one. Which does not prevent it from being an outrage to modesty, though its exhibitionism is squandered on the blind. It is enough for poetry to express a personal ethic, which can then break away in the form of a work. It insists on living its own life. It becomes the pretext for a thousand misunderstandings that go by the name of glory...

The ultimate politeness in art consists of speaking only to those who are able to uncover and measure its relationships. Anything else is symbolic, and symbolism is merely transcendental imagery.

Anything of any importance cannot help but be unrecognizable, since it bears no resemblance to anything already known.

Know that your work speaks only to those on the same wavelength as you.

Consider metaphysics as an extension of the physical.

Be a mere assistant to your unconscious. Do only half the work. The rest will do itself.

Disavow anyone who provokes or accepts the extermination of a race to which he does not belong.

Expect neither reward nor beatitude. Return noble waves for ignoble.

Allow the power of the soul to grow as flagrant as the power of sex.

Do not close the circle. Leave it open. Descartes closes the circle. Pascal leaves it open. Rousseau's triumph over the encyclopedists is to have left his circle open when they closed theirs.

See your disappointments as good fortune. One plan's deflation is another's inflation.

Do not fear being ridiculous in relation to the ridiculous.